


Shades of Destiny

by DominaRegina



Series: Shades of Destiny [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: 50 Shades of Grey References, BDSM, Ben Wa Balls, Blindfolds, Car Sex, Eventual Smut, F/F, Inspired by 50 Shades of Grey, Lesbian Sex, Light BDSM, Light Bondage, Massage, Nipple Clamps, Office Sex, Reinako, Spanking, Strap-Ons, Vibrators, Wax Play, gagging with a tie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:26:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 192,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16764220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DominaRegina/pseuds/DominaRegina
Summary: When college student Michiru Kaiou interviews for an internship with Tenoh Industries, their eternal destinies awaken once more.





	1. Formal Introductions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JurisLadyAnna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JurisLadyAnna/gifts).



> My girlfriend and I thought it would be fun to create a fanfiction with a (very loose) basis in 50 Shades of Grey. I removed the toxic/problematic aspects, inserted our favorite Sailor Moon couple, and developed an original Sailor Moon story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wheels of fate begin to turn.

**♆**

Michiru Kaiou took a deep breath as she approached the reception desk. The flawless ebony marble spread across the length of the reception area, which was easily larger than her studio apartment. A prim receptionist whose brunette hair was pulled back in a bun that looked painfully tight gazed across the desk at her with carefully practiced decorum. 

“Good afternoon and welcome to Tenoh Corporate headquarters.” She sounded robotic. Pleasant, but robotic. 

“Good afternoon,” Michiru whispered. The sterile, professional atmosphere was suffocating. 

The receptionist’s rouge-painted lips spread into a smile that one might find friendly if they didn’t know any better. 

“Name and appointment time, please?”

Michiru was too short to see over the countertop, but she could hear the woman’s fingertips tapping on a keyboard. “Michiru Kaiou. I have an interview with Mr. Tenoh at 1:00.”

The reflective glare on the receptionist’s monitor created small white boxes on her eyes. Michiru found herself focusing on her dark irises and firmly set eyebrows. Anything to distract from the butterflies stirring in her belly. 

“Please wear this visitor’s badge during your stay at Tenoh Headquarters.” The receptionist slid a laminated badge attached to a lanyard across the black marble. Michiru picked up her temporary nametag and studied its face. Her full name and purpose for visiting was typed in an over-the-top calligraphy font. 

As Michiru slung it around her neck and adjusted her wavy, cerulean hair around the new accessory, the receptionist continued. “The badge has a chip which will grant you access to the elevator, guest restrooms, and main exits. Please have a seat in the lobby to your left and Mr. Tenoh’s assistant will be down to get you.”

“Thank you,” Michiru slightly bowed her head. Her heels clicked against the swirling marble floor that was clean enough to eat off of. Unlike the reception area which was all shades of grey, the flooring was navy and white and every shade of blue in between with decorative, sparkling inserts that resemble stars. The leather couch in the waiting room was dark blue as well. It was a half-moon, partially circumferencing a large table featuring neatly folded magazines. 

Michiru could not help but notice each magazine brand was owned or operated by Tenoh Industries. 

Too anxious to sit, Michiru clutched her petite leather briefcase to her chest and strolled along the perimeter of the lobby, perusing the framed newspaper articles and magazine covers lining the wall. Most were dry, disinteresting topics typed in bold news font with paragraphs waxing poetic about Tenoh Industries, their most recent buyout, or how impressive their stocks were. 

The only frame able to catch her attention for more than a few seconds was an enlarged copy of the Forbes magazine in which Tenoh Industries ranked the top company in the world. Gracing the cover of the magazine was the company’s namesake and undeniably handsome young prodigy: Haruka Tenoh. 

His trim, athletic form was donned in a cream-colored suit. The only accents of color were the navy blue cufflinks, matching tie, and stormy eyes. He had a serious, smoldering gaze that managed to catch Michiru’s attention whenever she saw his picture on news articles online or on television. His sandy hair was clipped so that his bangs brushed against his long lashes. Michiru recognized the lackadaisical, windswept look to be one that took more stylists and hair care products than the style suggested. 

Despite knowing this particular image was a reflection of hours in makeup and airbrushing, she couldn’t help but stare into his professional, inviting gaze. He had the sort of half-grin about him that promised a layer of depth beneath the wealthy, prodigenous veneer he presented to the world. 

Michiru wryly assumed he had no trouble finding a woman to decorate his arm for every charity event and concert he most likely filled his evenings with. 

“Miss Kaiou?” An impatient female voice interrupted Michiru’s thoughts. 

Michiru snapped from her thoughts. Her teal eyes reluctantly broke the photograph’s intense stare to meet the annoyed frown of who she assumed to be his assistant. 

“Yes, sorry.”

“Please follow me.” Without waiting to see if the visitor was indeed following, the stiff blond assistant turned toward the elevator and walked through the doors, causing the steel slabs to retreat back into the walls. 

Deciding it would be a bad impression if she further perturbed his assistant, Michiru followed her into the elevator. 

There were no more intruders, and the doors successfully closed. Michiru watched as the assistant pressed the button to the top floor, which was the seventh. The assistant appeared to have no misgivings about laying on any saccharine niceties like the receptionists. In fact, she persistently stared ahead at the elevator door. The only sound filling the elevator was ambient piano music that may as well have been nails scraping a chalkboard to the former violinist. 

Trying to ignore the grating music and standoffish behavior from Mr. Tenoh’s assistant, Michiru’s focus turned inward instead. She began second guessing her clothing selection for this particular occasion. With one hand clutching her small briefcase, her other smoothed the buttoned, white satin top. After much deliberation, Michiru had chosen a pastel blue pencil skirt that accentuated her eyes and brushed modestly against her smoothly waxed legs. The matching leather belt and golden buckle split the outfit in half and showed off Michiru’s trim waist in a way that was so flattering, she stopped to admire her curves twice before leaving her bedroom. 

She’d wrestled with her hair for a long time, unable to decide whether it would be best to wear it back and professional, or loose and carefree. Michiru had decided on letting her locks dangle just past her shoulders like the unruly waves they were. 

Now that she was standing in an elevator with his uptight assistant, Michiru was beginning to worry her outfit was too much flirt and not enough practical. 

The elevator dinged. 

“Right this way,” the assistant, who still had not so much as introduced herself, led the way out of the elevator and down the hall. From what Michiru could tell, there was only one hallway, and it led to a large pair of double doors. 

A plaque spanning the length of the double doors read “H. Tenoh” in gold writing set against a granite backdrop. Michiru’s eyes followed the assistant’s hand as she reached for the matching gold doorknob. A strange symbol was engraved on the large, circular handle: 

♅

While she couldn’t begin to describe it, she knew she had seen it before. It was intimate, familiar, and gave her a strange twinge between her eyes. 

“Mr. Tenoh will see you now,” the assistant broke the silence. A chill crept up Michiru’s spine as the door opened, giving way to an expansive office with windows for walls, overlooking the congested, busy city. 

Michiru walked by the assistant and stood just in the doorway. Directly in front of her stood Haruka Tenoh, hands busy buttoning his gray-blue suit. The perfectly polished buttons glistened in the natural lighting pouring in from the afternoon sun. Michiru’s gaze followed his fingers as they deftly made their way down the three buttons and then upwards to adjust his collar. 

The large door slammed shut behind her. Michiru startled into action. 

Freeing a hand from clutching her briefcase, she straightened to her full height and approached the business tycoon. His shining lacquered shoes followed suit, meeting her at the halfway point in his office. 

He was the first to reach out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kaiou.”

If his gaze was smoldering and mesmerizing in photographs, Michiru had no words to describe him in person. His sandy hair was both messy and perfect. His curt, toothless smile was devilishly handsome, even though she got the impression he was only trying to get through this interview and move on with his day. His stormy eyes were somehow clearer and more vivid than any modeling pictures of him she had seen during her research. 

Even his slight, musky scent was intoxicating. 

Michiru suddenly felt hot and angry with herself. She was supposed to be the ogled, not the ogler. As a Kaiou, she prided herself with her looks, presentation, and charisma. Now was the time to lay down her signature charm, not act like a starstruck virgin. 

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Tenoh.” Her petite hand slid into his. 

His firm, yet somehow soft hand enveloped hers. A surge of something she could not identify shot up her arm, into her chest. 

Electricity? Energy? 

Her overactive imagination?

He cleared his throat and pulled away, letting his fingertips linger against the palm of her hand, before gesturing to the two leather seats facing his desk. 

“Please have a seat and we will begin.”

He retreated behind his desk, unfastening those buttons again before sitting. A weight felt lifted from her chest when he removed himself from her personal space. Michiru watched as he sat and faced her. 

Remembering that charm she told herself she would use, Michiru smiled politely and sank herself into the comfortable leather chair. She crossed her legs at the knees, conscientious of how the fabric cascaded down both sides of her thighs, offering an enticing peek at the shadow cast between them. 

Michiru placed her leather briefcase flat across the top of her thighs. She felt his eyes on her, undoubtedly dissecting her inch by inch, trying to determine what the previous interviewers had seen in her before they even spoke. Finding herself unable to meet his gaze after the strange handshake, her eyes fell to his hands. 

The fingers of both his hands interlaced between each other, stacked on his desk to give her a clear view of all eight of them while his thumbs hid. His skin was pale, and his knuckles firm. Michiru did not detect any calluses, like she had back when she played the violin. 

Still, she could tell those were warrior’s hands, capable of beautiful and destructive deeds. 

“Mr. Kawakami and Ms. McGregor both spoke very highly of you after you interviewed with them. Hence the reason you are here, of course. So now I want you to tell me why I should also believe you are the best person for this internship.”

“Certainly.” Michiru adjusted her posture. Back straight. Shoulders back. Smile wide. “I have a passion for arts, and I am already intimately familiar with the Tenoh Art Gallery. I am in my second year of college, and as the president of the fine arts club, I have already worked closely with Director Kawakami on several occasions to arrange open houses to showcase the work of myself and my peers.”

“What is your favorite medium to work with?” Haruka asked, sounding generally interested. 

“I paint with acrylics, primarily. I also sketch with charcoal.” Without being prompted, Michiru snapped open her small leather briefcase. She procured a small leaflet binder and leaned forward to offer it to him. 

Haruka took the offered item. Instead of sitting back down, he stood to his full height again. Those distracting fingers slid down the length of each laminated slip protecting her drawings as he fingered through her small portfolio. 

The billionaire’s serious brows furrowed as he absorbed each line and shadow of her images. Michiru had her portfolio memorized, so she knew which image caught his eye when his focus lingered for more than a polite moment. 

“I drew that after having a dream that I was a mermaid, swimming into an endless, dark ocean. I had a mirror in my hand, and it illuminated my path until I reached the ocean floor.”

Haruka’s fingertip traced the curves of the mermaid’s tail. He was entranced, unable to pull away from the drawing. “And what did you find at the bottom of the sea?”

“Turn the page,” Michiru instructed with a subtle smirk.

Mr. Tenoh flipped to the next drawing. His eyes widened and Michiru almost thought he stopped breathing as his pale eyes absorbed the dream she had recreated with paper and charcoal. The focal point of the drawing was a curved sword, inset with a dozen gems. The weapon was glowing, spreading light across the ocean floor and illuminating the mermaid’s solemn face. 

Haruka suddenly snapped the binder closed, causing Michiru to flinch. 

“Your talent and passion are plain as day. Even to someone like myself, who can hardly manage a stick figure.”

Was that a joke? And, if so, was she supposed to laugh? Unsure, Michiru settled on a polite smile. “I believe art is for everyone. In fact, my art club is hosting an open night at the gallery tomorrow evening. Though I suppose you probably already knew that.”

“I did,” Haruka agreed with a small nod. 

“I’d be honored if you could find time in your busy schedule to come see the latest works by myself and my peers.”

Haruka’s trim frame leaned against his desk. His hands worked down the front of his suit jacket, fastening those buttons yet again. There was enough space between them for Michiru to breathe; yet his wild aroma tickled her senses. “Will your paintings be on display?”

“Yes.”

Haruka’s hands slipped into his front pockets, slightly hitching up the front of his jacket. For all the apparent relaxation in his posture, professionalism radiated from him like light from a full midnight moon. 

In all of her research on the infamous prodigy, Michiru could find no clear indication he had any interest in the fine arts. Sure, he owned a few art galleries, but his company’s influence stretched across all sectors; horticulture, media, international trade, stocks. When it came to his personal interests and hobbies, all she could find was that he was a runner, a pilot, and collected expensive sports cars. 

Nothing that terribly interested Michiru Kaiou, the former violinist with a perfect GPA who had plenty of lovers but none that she actually loved. 

“Then perhaps I will see you at the art show tomorrow night.” 

Haruka was formal and polite, but Michiru had endured enough of the male gaze to know when a man was trying to be discreet. His eyes followed her legs down to the pointed tip of her heels before shooting back up to her eyes. Michiru smiled inwardly. 

For all of the pomp and circumstance, Haruka Tenoh was a young man with the same desires all young men have. And that was something she could work with. 

“I look forward to seeing you there,” Michiru’s voice dropped an octave, causing him to clear his throat. 

“Judging from your resume, there is no technical reason not to offer you the internship,” Haruka took control of the conversation, steering it back on course. “And it’s obvious you have a passion for the arts and are already familiar with the building and staff. Has Director Kawakami discussed the terms of the internship?”

“Yes. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Four to eight PM. I am not a scholarship student, so it is on a volunteer basis.”

Dirty blond locks bounced against his lashes as he nodded. “Very good. Can you start this coming Monday?”

“Yes.” Michiru did not trust herself to say anything else. 

The intercom on the desk beeped. Already propped against the desk, he leaned back to press a button on the phone. While he was distracted, Michiru took the opportunity to devour his form with her greedy eyes. Everything from the angle of his smooth jawline down to his knees jutting against his pressed suit pants made her inexplicably hungry. 

Michiru couldn’t remember the last time a man--no, anyone--made her feel this way.

“Yes?” he asked somewhat tersely.

“Your 1:30 is here, Mr. Tenoh. The CEO of--”

“Reschedule for next Thursday at 9:00 AM,” he cut off the assistant’s voice coming through the speaker. 

Michiru inwardly grinned. That woman had been rather rude. 

“Sir?” the voice asked after a beat. 

“You heard me.”

The sudden, cool edge to his voice sent a chill down Michiru’s spine. 

He released the connection and returned to his full height. Instead of burying his hands into his pockets, he crossed them over his chest. 

Why the hell?

“I’d rather learn more about you than give the CEO of Growe’s Manufacturing 1.2 million dollars,” he explained as if reading her bewildered mind. 

Michiru tucked a strand of aqua hair behind her ear. She swapped legs. “And what else would you like to know, Mr. Tenoh?”

“You said you weren’t a scholarship student. You’re attending NYU. And your last name, well… forgive me for making assumptions.”

“You didn’t make assumptions. You connected the dots,” Michiru answered. There was a bite in her tone, despite her reassuring words. 

“I really should go.” Michiru stood without waiting to be dismissed. Whatever Haruka’s intentions behind the question, she refused to discuss the most traumatic experience of her life at a supposed interview. Nor was she going to risk getting this position out of pity. 

“I’m sorry if I offended you.” He all but leapt to correct his error. “I let my curiosity get the better of me.”

His sudden earnesty and worry gave Michiru pause. The way he reached out for her arm, eyes wide and afraid she would leave angry, washed away the self-pity and upsetting memories. 

Why did he care if he hurt her feelings? Businessmen were self-centered and ruthless. He didn’t become the richest CEO in the world by being afraid to offend people. 

Besides, they would probably never see each other again after today. 

Michiru looked down at his fingers wrapped around her forearm. It came again. That energy. That force. Every fiber of her being resonating in response to his touch. 

It took every ounce of her willpower to pull her arm free. 

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Tenoh.”

Leaving him with an expression mirroring her own confusion, she turned and left his office. 

♆

Michiru paused in front of the entrance to her apartment. She stared down at the glowing screen of her cell phone, thumb hovering over the call icon. The interview with Haruka Tenoh left her frustrated and bristling with sexual tension. 

Staring at the name and number of her latest fling, her resolution began to waver. 

He was one of the only men she had been with who knew how to use his tongue. 

Still, she had said she never wanted to see him again. Though the reason escaped her now. 

Voices from the inside of her apartment snapped her out of her reverie. Dismissing the thought of arranging a tryst for the evening, she tucked her phone away and checked the door handle. It was locked, but they always kept it locked. Michiru fished out her keychain and listened against the door, but her ears were met with only silence. 

Assuming her roommate had either been on the phone or she’d imagined it, Michiru slid the key into the lock and turned it. 

As expected, her roommate was sitting alone at her work desk, staring into her slim silver laptop. She folded it closed and regarded Michiru as she entered and removed her boots. Deep garnet eyes tracked her every movement until Michiru acknowledged her with a smile. 

This woman was more than a roommate to the college student. She was a mentor, a friend, and technically her legal guardian until she turned eighteen in two weeks. If this woman hadn’t been in her life when her parents died, Michiru was afraid to think of where she would be today. 

Dark hair flashed emerald in the light as she rearranged herself to face Michiru. A kind, maternal smile lit up her serious face. “How was your interview?”

Michiru approached Setsuna’s desk and leaned against the wall. 

“Haruka Tenoh is an… interesting man,” she began while placing her palm against the opposite arm where his warmth still lingered. Closing her eyes, she dared hope he would make an appearance at the art exhibit tomorrow.


	2. First Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to all of the positive reviews for Chapter 1! I hope you enjoy my re-imagining of the art exhibit scene featuring our favorite couple.

Chapter Two- First Contact

♅

_“You were misbehaving, dear…” She drawls in my ear. My body is alive. Ripe with gnawing hunger. Her form is incorporeal. I smell the sea and feel flesh, but I cannot pinpoint the shape of her eyes or the curve of her breasts pressing against me._

_“Wha-what do you mean?” I’m asking apprehensively. My hands are bound above my head with my own tie and I become aware of my shirt; completely unbuttoned and sprawling away from my chest._

_I cannot see her. But I can feel her. Waves cascading down my bare skin. Ocean mist against my lips as she kisses me. My lips part for this spectre with a desperate, unquenchable thirst. She plays with me, absorbing my desire and taking it for herself until my face is suddenly pushed away._

_“Giving me that look from across the ballroom… That look you know I can’t resist… Knowing we couldn’t be together, alone like this, for hours…”_

_I chuckle. Trying to be smug, but I don’t sound it. “And how do you plan to punish me?”_

_There is a hard tug at my restraints and I groan. I need this woman. Whoever she is. She straddles me and I’m sinking into her oceanic depths._

_A flash of color blinds me. Aquamarine waves, like light beacons shining through the ocean depths, drown me as she cradles me into her bosom._

_“By never letting you go.”_

♅

Haruka sat up in bed, gasping for air. His hands clutched his throat in a futile attempt to will oxygen into his lungs. Chest heaving and panic subsiding, he caught glimpses of his bedroom and realized it had been a dream. 

The only type of dream he had nowadays. 

Haruka leaned over the side of the bed, ripping open the nightstand drawer. He procured a notebook and gold-tipped felt pen. After tearing the cap off with his teeth, he began writing every fresh detail in his mind before they could fade away forever. 

Mist. Water. And blue. Shimmering seascapes and crystal clear oceans. 

Sweat glued bangs to his forehead, but he ignored it until he exhausted every minute detail to paper. He could run for hours and not break a sweat. But every time he awoke after dreaming about her his body was soaked. 

Haruka spit the pen cap out from between his teeth. Pressing the heels of his palms into his tired, sunken eyes, he tried focusing, wishing he could force the sight of her face into view. 

All he had left was the lingering scent of ocean mist and that brilliant shade of blue. 

And the memory of her body pressed into his. 

Haruka groaned and checked the time: 4:30 AM. Knowing he would not be able to steal more slumber before his 5 o’clock alarm, he snatched his phone to check work emails. Finding nothing urgent, he laced his running shoes. 

Running was his release from the arousing dreams disturbing his sleep and the constant barrage of stress during his days. Every morning he ran, whether on his personal track or on the treadmill in his gym. Being late February and still bitterly cold outside, he headed downstairs and entered his gym. 

Haruka much preferred the outdoors. When he ran with the wind, he could go on forever. His muscles never tired, his lungs never ached; the air embraced and carried him. Running on a treadmill was a much different, stifling experience. 

Haruka flicked the lights to his gym on. A flat screen television mounted on the wall across from the treadmill came to life. After depositing a towel and grabbing a bottle of water from the ice bucket already prepared by one of the housemaids, he began his morning ritual. 

A steady jog soon overtook his body. His arms pumped and his feet pounded the revolving treadmill track at a modest pace that would still leave most in his dust. His eyes focused on the news broadcasting on the television. Sports, which aired at forty-five after every hour, did not hold his interest for long. 

After settling into his familiar gait, Haruka’s thoughts began to wander to the college student he met yesterday afternoon.

Michiru Kaiou.

The college woman had no shortage of admirable attributes in Haruka’s eyes. She was driven, intelligent, artistic, and beautiful. During their short meeting, he felt her pride and sensuality, her intrigue and curiosity. Once upon a time, that would have been enough to earn his interest. 

Now, Haruka was looking for more. 

He was looking for her; his dream woman, in the literal sense. The cerulean princess. The embodiment of water. 

Haruka knew he was being unreasonable. When the dreams started becoming more vivid, his interest in his contracted dalliances lessened. He could not focus on his duties as a dominant or the needs of his submissives, and so he all but gave up on satisfying his secret extracurricular activities. It had been nearly a year since he’d taken a lover. 

But that color. The ocean blue that washed his dream and rendered his body limp with desire. The waves of her hair cascading down her shoulders. The sensations pouring through his body when their hands met. His fingers twitched. 

“What the…” he found himself whispering when a breaking news segment interrupted the morning feed. He stopped abruptly and almost fell before stopping the treadmill. 

Just as he was making sense of what he was looking at, a cacophony of chimes and the rattle of his phone vibrating against the treadmill display forced his attention. 

“Tenoh here,” he snapped into his phone. Haruka wrapped a white towel around the base of his neck, eyes locked on the television. “I see that. And you wait until the press are already there to fucking call me?”

“I’m sorry, sir! It’s been absolute mayhem. It came out of nowhere.”

“Asteroids don’t come out of nowhere, Rothschild! We own the most sophisticated satellite network in—“ Haruka stopped himself and took a deep breath. Losing his temper would do nothing to rectify the situation. “How many casualties?”

“Twenty three staff. Thirty five refugees. A whole lot more wounded. And the biggest fuckin’ hole in the ground I’ve ever seen.”

“So I’ve noticed…” Haruka commented wryly as he studied the video feed. The camera was swooping around the impact site, focusing on first responders tending to the wounded. The journalist was asking questions in Hindi and translating for the American audience hungry for trauma that didn’t affect their everyday lives in the slightest. 

The camera panned over a tall, elegant woman wearing a white lab coat that was stained with red dirt and debris. Her hair was glowing verdant in the sunlight. During the short second the camera passed by her as an afterthought, she pushed black-framed glasses over her garnet eyes. 

The brief moment might as well have been an eternity. 

“Who… is that?” Haruka whispered into the phone. 

“Sir?”

“You’re there? On the ground?”

“Yes sir!”

Haruka felt a twinge between his furrowed eyebrows. That woman was a spectre. Her serious face felt may as well have been a portrait of death. 

“Who is that woman?”

“What woman, sir?”

Haruka felt his temper rising again. “Never mind. Schedule a conference call ASAP and email me the details. We need to issue a press statement, get humanitarian workers wearing the Tenoh brand on the ground, figure out the insurance bullshit, and I believe we should be reaching out to the families of the deceased employees to assist with life insurance claim settlements.”

“I agree, sir. Will do.”

The director of international relations sounded bewildered and exhausted. Haruka sighed, realizing he had been too short with him. 

“Rothschild?”

“Yes, sir?”

“How are you?” Not catching another glimpse of the woman who disturbed Haruka’s train of thought, he turned the television off. 

“Shaken, I guess. The paramedics are saying most people died on impact. But all the debris and fire…”

“I understand. Take the rest of the day off after the conference call. I’ll release a statement to the press.” 

Without waiting for a humble or demure reply, Haruka ended the call. His chest tightened as he dwelled on the fiery remains of what had been one of his crowning goodwill achievements: a safe home for women and children who were victims of domestic violence in rural India. 

Logically, he knew it was a random, freak occurrence. There was nothing anyone could do to prevent an asteroid from landing, as far as he knew. Despite what he told himself, something still did not settle. 

How could every satellite and every space agency on the planet have no clue an asteroid was heading straight for earth? 

Whatever the case may be, it was nothing Haruka was going to solve. He had to focus on what he could do, and dallying about in his gym and engaging in distracting thoughts about random women would serve no one. He would have to stay on task today if he planned to go to the art exhibit that evening. 

Haruka had a gnawing feeling Michiru would prove to be more than just a random woman. 

♅

The remainder of the business pariah’s day was a whirlwind of phone calls, emails, and press statements. He sent cases upon cases of water and food to the humanitarian workers and injured survivors. He signed personalized condolence cards and inserted checks in them. Money never replaced loved ones, but it could lessen the sting of financial burdens in the wake of funerals and accrued expenses. Haruka had not experienced acute poverty for years, but the stabbing hunger pains he experienced during his childhood were not something he could easily forget. 

Haruka handled all of these extra tasks on top of his original schedule for the day, energized by the memory of Michiru’s tranquil voice and mesmerizing drawings. Something in him absolutely had to see her paintings. To catch another faint glimmer into the inner workings of her mind. 

When he finally parked his custom-made 2018 Porsche in the private garage attached to his seaside home, he was filled with a second wind. Angela, his personal chef, prepared his french press which he took into his bedroom. 

Standing in his private chambers and letting the steam of his drink fog his vision, he grinned to himself. With one hand, he pulled open the top drawer of his dresser. Rows upon rows of ties, all different shades and patterns of blue, stared up at him. Two of his fingers slid across each tie on the top row, pretending he was debating which tie he would wear with the solid black Brioni Vanquish suit freshly pressed and waiting in his closet. 

Haruka reverently pulled a solid aquamarine tie from his collection and held the fabric up to ensure it met his standards. 

He stroked the fabric, imagining it was the lustrous waves of her hair. He brought the tie closer to his face and inhaled its scent. The color was exact, making it exceedingly difficult to reign in his wandering thoughts. 

After gingerly laying the item of clothing across his bed, he retreated to eat his dinner and share casual conversation with Angela. Her cooking was always splendid; she had a way of preparing nutritious meals that weren’t a chore to choke down. 

After washing down his salmon with orange glaze and wild rice with a glass of pinot noir, he freshened up and donned his suit and tie. 

Haruka Tenoh never dressed down. Anywhere. Paparazzi followed him to all the corners of the world. There were photographs of him donning designer suits from gas stations to McDonalds to bars. The only time he did not wear a suit was when he was at the race track. And even then, he wore the most expensive racing uniform money could buy. 

Being treated like a teenage popstar instead of a successful businessman was more annoying than anything else. Tonight, he planned to use the media’s unhealthy obsession with him to his advantage. 

The art exhibit, hosted by the Tenoh Art Exhibition Center, owned by Tenoh Industries and located in the heart of the city, was a popular spot for colleges and up and coming artists to rent space and display their work. The local colleges and clubs were their biggest customers; though they never charged educational or nonprofit entities for the space. 

Haruka hated to admit he did not visit often. His schedule rarely allowed it. And even if he had the time, paintings were the medium typically showcased here. Browsing paintings always gave him an unsettling, nauseous feeling, so he avoided doing so as often as possible. 

In his mind, it was worth the price of seeing her again. 

Haruka pulled up to the building in his Porsche. After handing his keys to a valet attendant, he shoved his hands inside his front pockets and strode up the steps to the main entrance. There was a healthy amount of traffic coming in and out of the building. Many of the guests appeared to be college students here to support their classmates. 

A small co-ed group stood in a circle by the main entrance, gossiping and vaping. Two of the girls stared him down, but he wasn’t sure if it was because they recognized him or simply found him attractive. Any other day, he would pause to smile or flirt. 

Today, he was on a mission. 

Haruka entered the main lobby. The walls were white and the lighting crisp and bright. There was no student artwork showcased in the entrance. Two tasteful water fountains with mermaids on either side of a pedestal holding a ledger were the only decorations here. 

He signed his name as he did every document: the letter T sandwiched between two capital Hs. After capping the pen, he chose the left hallway and entered the first gallery. There was no sign of Michiru. He browsed the paintings and gave a vague compliment to the artist, a young man with a shaved head and tattoo sleeves, before moving on. 

It was not until Haruka approached the third gallery that he heard her voice, soon accompanied by the electric current they shared. Her melodic, unmistakable cantor was engaged in polite conversation. 

Haruka rounded the corner, planning to flash his lady-killing smile. Instead, he was raising his arm and shielding his eyes from flashing bright lights. Cameras clicked in rapid succession. 

When the lights finally stopped he lowered his arm and scowled, earning a lighthearted giggle from Michiru. 

The annoying photographer was also a reporter. She pounced on him without delay, assaulting him with question after question. 

Haruka heard none of them. 

Michiru’s soft, lilting laughter ensconced him. She caught herself and stopped laughing at his expense, but the damage had already been done. Their eyes met, and neither of them had the power to break the spell. 

“Mr. Tenoh?” The NYU reporter asked with a raised inclination suggesting this was not the first time she tried gaining his attention. 

Haruka cleared his throat and looked down at the petite redhead. “I’m here to see Ms. Kaiou’s work.”

“Oh?” The reporter decided not to mention that he hadn’t answered her question about the disaster in India. “And why is that?”

“Starting Monday she will be interning for Director Kawakami. And so, I thought it would be appropriate to view her gallery.”

Haruka flashed the reporter a charming smile that said, ‘I don’t mind speaking to aspiring journalists,’ but also, ‘I’m not answering any more questions.’ 

The reporter melted beneath his smoldering gaze and muttered a demure “Thank you for your time,” before disappearing amongst the students and paintings. 

The small crowd of admirers surrounding Michiru parted when the gallery’s billionaire owner approached. Haruka had to remind himself to breathe as he took in the full sight of her. A black, sleeveless cocktail dress adorned her curves. It was cut off above her knees and not afraid to reveal some cleavage. The outfit she wore to the interview yesterday was wildly conservative by comparison. 

“Good evening, Ms. Kaiou,” Haruka approached her with his hands down his front pockets. 

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Tenoh.” Michiru took another step closer. Her hand rose to his tie. Haruka blinked in surprise when Michiru, unabashed, stroked the tie matching her hair and smiled lasciviously. “Nice tie.”

Haruka felt his cheeks go hot. People never candidly touched or teased him. Her coy behavior caught him off guard. 

Michiru’s smile told him she relished his reaction. 

“Call me Haruka, please.” The businessman flinched when another camera flashed the unlikely couple in blinding light. 

“Michiru, then.” Her bright eyes flicked down to the tie once more. She smiled knowingly; already figuring out why he adorned that specific color. 

After a beat, she withdrew her hand. 

Now that Haruka could finally breathe and think, he swept a hand outward. “Give me a tour?”

“Certainly.” Michiru linked elbows with Haruka and began to lead him. Cameras flashed again. This time, he did not scowl at the attention. Haruka flashed a handsome smile. Michiru’s casual flirtation was such a welcome change from her attitude in his office yesterday afternoon, he almost could not help but be bemused. 

More importantly, Haruka wanted to be seen enjoying himself in their first public photos together. 

“I appreciate you finding the time to come. It appears as though you’ve had a stressful day,” Michiru said casually, indicated she had seen the news coverage. 

Haruka shook his head. “Think nothing of it. Besides, I didn’t come here to talk about me. I want you to tell me all about your artwork.”

The artist gave a consenting hum, which sounded more like a sensual purr rumbling from her chest. Haruka swallowed, trying to ignore the addicting energy pulsating from the woman beside him. Michiru led him to the first of a series of paintings hanging around the perimeter of the room, not breaking the connection made by their arms.

The first painting featured a woman wearing an azure dress. The perspective was from behind, watching her as she, in turn, gazed across a tumultuous landscape. She was tall and muscular while maintaining a hint of feminine curves. The dress adorning her frame flapped violently amidst a windstorm. Sand stretched onward across the canvas in rolling fields of golden dust. The woman’s short, cropped hair matched the sand whipping through it. 

Haruka crossed his arms as he studied the painting. It was crafted with stunning realism, all except for a golden glow around the woman’s head. 

“Warrior of the Skies,” Haruka read the laminated sign posted below it. 

Michiru began to speak, but a sudden, painful ringing in Haruka’s head blocked everything out. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets with as much pressure as he could manage. 

_Damn… This is worse than the ones I usually get._

____

____

Browsing paintings and art galleries tended to give him headaches, or at least dizzy spells, but he’d never experience anything this intense. 

“Haruka?” Michiru’s hand was on his back. He knew because he felt comforting energy emanating from the contact. 

Whatever was going on, he refused to let it ruin his evening with this intriguing young woman. Taking a deep breath, he straightened to his full height. “I’m fine. Just a stress headache, I’m sure.”

The concern etched on her face washed most of the pain away. Unconvinced, she placed a hand on his arm as if to help steady him. “Are you sure you don’t want to sit down?”

“No. Let’s continue.” 

Michiru’s confident, flirtatious streak ebbed. Haruka cursed his ill luck; his abrupt headache must have disturbed her. After risking another glance at Warrior of the Skies, he followed the artist to the next masterpiece on display. 

There were a handful of watery landscapes; serene, nocturnal images displaying moonlight reflecting from clear ripples. 

Next came a series of paintings titled “The Moon’s Protectors.” There were nine paintings in total, each featuring a planet in the Milky Way. The first painting was, predictably, Mercury, followed by Venus, continuing through to Pluto. Haruka never invested much thought or interest in the planets or space, with the exception of investing in satellite technology and the corresponding stocks. As expected, the technical skill displayed in the paintings was unequivocable. 

There was something else about the planets that drew his attention. Each one had a different feeling. A personality, almost, that shone through the brushstrokes. Mercury felt wise, Venus amorous, and Mars was stern. Haruka remained pensive as he walked by each planet, absorbing their different auras and enjoying the aesthetics. 

“This must be… Uranus,” he guessed in a desperate attempt to recollect facets of his elementary school education he had not used since. 

“That’s right.” Michiru paused, allowing Haruka time to study her work. 

Haruka shoved his hands down his front pockets and regarded the image. He noticed that as the planets showcased moved further outward from the sun, the background became darker. Stars shone around the planet which was blue-green in color, but had a golden glimmer about it.

Uranus was catastrophic and windswept. Tornados littered its surface and Michiru’s expert strokes bellied windstorms and deserts. Haruka reached out toward the painting, feeling a kindred connection to the celestial entity.

“Do you like it?” Michiru interrupted Haruka’s daze. He blinked. Embarrassed, he pulled his hand away from the painting and hid it within his pocket. 

“They’re all good,” Haruka mumbled apologetically. 

Michiru tilted her head. Obviously, she was not going to let his quirky behavior tonight go unchecked. “You didn’t try molesting the other paintings,” she observed.

Haruka wanted to be embarrassed, but her tone made him chuckle. “Guess I feel drawn to it.”

Her blue eyes lit up. “Oh, I see.”

“What?” 

“The symbol on the doorknob leading to your office. It’s the symbol for the planet Uranus. I can’t believe that had slipped my mind…” she paused, brow furrowed, “You’re an Aquarius, aren’t you? You could have just said so.” 

Confident in her assessment, Michiru took a few steps to the next planet. Happy to drop the subject, Haruka followed and looked at the teal celestial body Michiru gestured to. 

“This is my planet. Neptune.” 

“Your planet?” Haruka arched a thin eyebrow. His headache was returning, but at a slow simmer instead of an immediate boil. 

“Well yes, I’m a Pisces.” Michiru regarded Haruka for a moment, as if deciding whether she was being played. “Astrology isn’t of any interest to you, is it?”

“It’s not not interesting. I just haven’t gotten around to studying it yet.” Haruka found himself making excuses for not having an interest in astrology for no reason. He shook his head at his own behavior. He did not have to justify his likes or dislikes to this near-stranger, no matter how attractive he found her. “And why is it of interest to you? Are you studying astrology?”

“Not academically, no,” Michiru cleared her throat. “But my roommate has been pounding this stuff into my head since I was young. It’s all quite fascinating, really.”

Roommate? Since she was young?

Michiru saw the confused look on Haruka’s face and backtracked. “Sorry. I say ‘roommate,’ but she’s really my legal guardian until I turn eighteen.”

Haruka paused as he tried processing all of this information. His brain, still slightly throbbing, was not as sharp as usual, but he could have sworn she said she was not eighteen years old yet.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Nothing, forget I said anything,” Michiru turned her back to the paintings they had been observing. 

Haruka could not forget either of the things he’d just heard, but now was not the time to address them. He shoved them inside a closed compartment in his mind, somewhere amongst the strange visions and the oceanic dream lover and his past subordinates and his long-neglected Skyloft. 

“I apologize, but I should get going. I shouldn’t be monopolizing your time,” Haruka said while gesturing to the outliers who had been watching them since he arrived. This was his first time seeing her amongst her peers, and he could tell both the men and women admired her talent and charm.

Michiru cast him a disparaged glance before unsuccessfully concealing it with the elegant charisma Haruka assumed had some influence in her popularity. “Thank you for coming. I truly appreciate this gallery, and I’m grateful to have been chosen for the internship. I look forward to spending more time here and working with Director Kawakami.” 

“You’ll do great.” Haruka turned to leave but abruptly stopped when a loud, angry landscape of hellish red stared back at him. He forgot to breathe as the image sent his mind spiraling through a gauntlet of mayhem and death. He fell into the painting, finding himself standing amongst the apocalypse, crying out for a savior. 

“I call it ‘The Silence,’” Michiru explained from behind Haruka’s trembling form. 

“It’s very different. From your other works.” Haruka swallowed. 

“It is.” She offered no explanation for the visage of death amongst the planets and oceans. 

Haruka wanted an explanation. Badly. Or rather, an explanation as to why this painting made him feel the way it did. 

Why she made him feel this way. 

“Michiru, I…” Haruka stopped himself. He couldn’t do this. Not again. Not with her. She wasn’t even eighteen yet, for god’s sake. 

Never mind the fact that he couldn’t get her out of his mind, she was the closest likeness to the goddess in his dreams he would probably ever find, and it couldn’t be a coincidence that the night after they met his dream burst in vivid, unmistakable aquamarine waves just like her hair. 

God, he wanted to reach out and touch her hair…

“Haruka?” Cerulean eyes peered at him cautiously. 

He tried to leave, but his feet were firmly planted to the ground. He shouldn’t go down this road with her. Not until he knew for certain she was the woman he was waiting for. He started sweating, more profusely than during his long distance marathons. 

Despite his reservations, a far-off, persistent voice propelled him forward. “Would you, um… Like to meet me for coffee sometime?”

Haruka thought his heart might explode when a slow, surreptitious smile adorned her perfect mouth. 

“The pleasure would be all mine, Mr. Tenoh.”


	3. Two Moons Cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unless I'm forgetting something from the first installment, this chapter doesn't have much basis in 50 Shades of Grey. I just wanted them to have a cute coffee date before things get more serious.

Two Moons Cafe

♆

Monotonous beeping pulled Michiru from a restless sleep. She rolled over and flicked the alarm off, committing to the day after hitting snooze three times. Michiru groaned in frustration. Not at the hour, but at her own reaction to it. 

She used to thrive on routine. Outside of the weekend, she went to bed by ten and awoke at five to begin her day. 

Healthy sleep patterns, which used to come naturally to her, had evaded her since those dreams began. Even when her parents died and her world was shattered beyond comprehension, she slept and maintained her routine. Back then, Setsuna was more involved and invasive. Her guardian basically forced her to attend school and not fall behind in her studies. 

Lately, Setsuna had practiced a more hands-off approach, which Michiru assumed was mainly due to the fact that in less than two weeks Setsuna would technically have no control over her. Michiru never used Setsuna as a crutch, and she did not expect her to come barging into her room, forcing her out of bed. That had never exactly been her style, anyway. 

Michiru’s eyes floated to the subject of last night’s insomnia. She picked up her sketchpad, which laid beside her in bed, and regarded the image she rendered while in a daze in the middle of the night. 

It was the same image she always felt compelled to draw while in her dream-like trance: a handheld looking glass, featuring a trident symbol on the back. Given her current knowledge of mythology and astrology, she could only assume the symbol to be Neptune’s trident, making it oddly befitting considering what she had told Haruka at the exhibit. 

Michiru sighed and flipped the page. Page after page, night after night, she repeatedly drew the same mirror. On one occasion she illustrated the sword featured in the drawing she showed Haruka when they first met. And on a different night she drew a weird thing that looked like an ornament— a round ruby seated in a heart-shaped silver display. The color must have been significant because she stumbled to her art supplies in the middle of the night to get out her red ink pen to fill in the orb. 

Not willing to give herself a headache trying to make sense of it all, Michiru forced herself out of bed. She closed the sketchpad and shoved it in her dresser drawer. 

The scent of freshly brewed coffee lured her from her bedroom into the spacious studio apartment. Setsuna was sitting on one of the three stools at their bar counter in the kitchen, sipping coffee and reading the paper. She was wearing her reading glasses and her perpetually serious frown. 

“Good morning,” Michiru’s roommate said without looking up from her morning paper. 

“Morning,” Michiru replied as she sauntered to the coffee pot sitting on the counter behind Setsuna. After pouring herself a cup she leaned against the refrigerator. “What time did you get back last night?”

“Shortly after one.” Setsuna placed her mug down onto the saucer, causing a clank. Michiru stared at the back of her head, admiring the way her thick, long hair cascaded down her back. 

“I’m surprised you’re home so soon,” Michiru casually stated while testing the heat of her beverage. 

“I didn’t do much besides collect the samples I needed. I’ll probably be working in my lab late the rest of the week.”

“As long as you find your way out for my birthday,” Michiru hinted with a smile. 

“You know I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Setsuna turned in her seat to regard her. “You never told me where you wanted to eat.”

Michiru shrugged. “I’ll text you when I decide.”

“I apologize about missing your art show. It appears to have been a success.” When Michiru tilted her head, confused, Setsuna passed the paper she was reading. “The university paper came in the mail this morning.”

“Oh, right.” Michiru took the small news collection. She sipped her coffee and almost spit it out when she saw the full color photograph and the headline beneath it. 

TENOH ART EXHIBITION CENTER’S BILLIONAIRE OWNER GRACES NYU SHOWING

Below the headline was a picture of Haruka and Michiru, arms linked, smiling and gazing upon a painting together. Michiru studied his firm smile, smoky eyes, and sandy hair. Her chest ached when she paused to consider how incredibly handsome he was. Haruka standing there, his expensive suit and tie matching her hair, and his arm linked with hers… 

Michiru was known for being a flirt, and often a relentless tease, but even she did not think she had it in her to flirt with the richest businessman on earth. Truthfully, she hadn’t known much about him until she learned he was interviewing her for the internship. Then she began her research. A quick Google search revealed he was the pop star of the business world. Cameras followed him nearly everywhere. Michiru wondered how she had not noticed his dazzling smile on magazines at the grocery store before. 

“You two make quite a couple,” Setsuna observed. Her praise fell on deaf ears as Michiru read the caption, and then the article. 

Michiru’s temperament fluctuated from indifference to anger as she read the details of her personal life laid out in the article. “I can’t believe Victoria would do that.”

“What?”

“Write about my parents and when we moved to the US. That has nothing to do with the art show. And she knows I hate talking about it.”

“Yes. And that layer of mystery you cloak yourself in makes you an enigma. Unraveling that mystery sells papers, you know,” Setsuna explained matter-of-factly. 

“I’m the enigma?” Michiru countered while staring at Haruka’s striking profile gracing NYU News’ front page. 

“Haruka Tenoh is a different beast,” Setsuna admitted. “But it is a school paper. He is not the Japanese-American dual citizen who is president of the fine arts club, holder of the championship title in division 1 swimming, and—“

“I get your point,” Michiru mumbled into her morning coffee. She finished the cup and dropped it in the sink. 

“You should eat something if you plan on going to the pool,” Setsuna chided her in the maternal tone Michiru was eternally grateful for. 

“No time.”

Setsuna’s garnet eyes flashed to her wristwatch. “Your first class isn’t until 11.”

Michiru turned and leaned herself against the bar counter beside Setsuna. She dropped the folded newspaper, picture of herself and Mr. Tenoh facing upward. 

“I’m meeting Haruka for coffee this morning.”

Michiru wished she could have recorded a video of her guardian’s reaction. Setsuna’s stoic, calm demeanor was completely overcome by surprise. And, Michiru detected, perhaps a bit of satisfaction? 

“You’re… dating?” Setsuna finally choked out. 

“I wouldn’t say that. He asked if I’d meet him for coffee sometime. I said yes. We exchanged numbers but haven’t texted much besides making arrangements.” Michiru kept her voice as casual as possible, but she couldn’t fool Setsuna. She felt excited, nervous, and her entire body tingled with the euphoric energy she experienced the two previous times they were together. 

Setsuna slowly nodded in a way that unnerved Michiru. It was like Setsuna knew something she didn’t. Her subtle scarlet gaze was piercing and uncomfortable. Michiru caught Setsuna looking at her in this fashion often, but today it was especially unnerving. 

“What?” She asked when it became apparent Setsuna would not indulge her thoughts. 

“I hope you have a good time.” Setsuna slid off the stool and straightened her lavender suit top. “I am off to the lab.” 

Michiru watched Setsuna pluck her lab coat from the coat rack and exit their apartment. Left alone, the college student glanced back down at the newspaper. Her face felt hot when she realized how close they stood. Michiru noticed their linked elbows and shook her head; she still wasn’t certain what compelled her to initiate such a familiar gesture with the handsome stranger. It completely went against her modest Japanese upbringing. 

The chiming of her cell phone across the room snapped Michiru out of her reverie. She almost leapt out of her skin. Annoyed at her nerves, she rushed to the phone charging on the nightstand. Before scooping it up, she froze when she realized it was Haruka. 

Excitement and trepidation filled her. She was elated that he went to the trouble of calling instead of texting her. But she found herself more devastated than she anticipated when she realized he was probably calling to cancel. 

He was the busiest and wealthiest CEO on earth, how could he have time to have coffee with a nobody college girl like herself?

“Hello?” Michiru answered hesitantly. 

“Good morning,” Haruka’s husky voice answered. He sounded like he had been awake for hours. “Are we still on for today?”

“Yes,” Michiru smiled and tried hiding the anxiousness from her voice. “Can I meet you in an hour?”

“Perfect. See you soon.”

The line went dead. Michiru unplugged her phone and began a rushed version of her morning ritual. She showered, which included washing her hair and shaving, brushed her teeth, dried and set her hair, and fussed over her outfit longer than she would publicly admit to anyone. Michiru always took pride in her presentation. She was well-groomed and raised by prominent classical musicians, and always dressed the part. Being seen in public with a billionaire, however, set the bar to an entirely new level. 

After rummaging through her winter collection and trying on a variety of outfits, she decided on a short beige sweater dress which featured a zipper running the entire length of the fabric, up to the folded-over collar that Michiru unzipped and arranged around her thin neck. She wore brown leggings with matching knee-high boots. Being late February, a winter chill still hung in the air, so she grabbed one of the gems of her wardrobe: a form-fitting, fur-lined brown Gucci leather jacket. 

Michiru applied her makeup, grabbed her purse and phone, and began the short walk to the local cafe. A light dusting of snow covered the sidewalks. People going about their day walked by, their faces locked in cell phones or gazing to the clouds. She paid little attention to the pedestrian crowd. Her thoughts were focused on Haruka, until she told herself she was being juvenile. 

Michiru had dated plenty of men and women since she started satisfying her sexual urges almost two years ago. “Dating” was not an accurate term if she was being honest with herself. Michiru never let anyone get close enough to learn much about her besides relaying what she liked in bed. In fact, the more she thought someone may be compatible with her, the sooner she made sure to never speak to them again. 

As Setsuna stated earlier: she was an enigma. Michiru never shared any details of her personal life with any of her flings or friends. 

What Setsuna didn’t know, was that she filled the loneliness with empty sexual encounters when her extracurricular activities weren’t enough to take her mind off of her loneliness and persistent, disturbing dreams. 

Michiru was not shy when it came to sharing her body. But the guarded, private memories and emotions were a different story. She could flirt all day long, but would clam up the moment anyone tried asking about her home life or past. 

It quickly became apparent to the former violinist that her interest in Haruka Tenoh extended beyond a few hours in bed. She never had that sentiment about anyone before. 

The realization made her nauseous. 

Michiru rounded the corner and found Haruka standing outside the agreed upon coffee shop. He wore a dark grey wool coat and an azure scarf with tassels brushing against the coat’s gold buttons. Sunglasses covered his eyes. The sun was bright for a winter morning, but Michiru assumed them to be functioning as a mask against unwanted attention. 

Haruka’s head was turned down into his phone and his thumbs were rapidly poking at the screen. His mouth was set in a neutral line, but Michiru knew no one texted with such fury unless something urgent was happening. 

She approached him, leaving enough space for privacy, but standing close enough so he could feel her presence. After sending the message, he buried his phone in a breast pocket and addressed her. 

“Sorry about that. Shall we?” Michiru nodded and watched as he procured a pair of black gloves from his coat pockets. Despite wearing sunglasses, Michiru could feel his eyes on her as he opened the cafe door and waited for her to enter first. 

The couple entered Two Moons Cafe and Michiru selected a booth in the corner. She assumed Haruka would appreciate the privacy. Before she could sit, her date helped her out of her jacket and pulled her chair out. Normally Michiru would internally scoff at the display of outdated chivalry. It always seemed to be an artificial gesture encouraging false hopes and expectations. 

Maybe, it was because Mr. Tenoh had been nothing but a polite gentleman during their previous encounters. Or maybe it was the earnest, almost shy smile he flashed when he removed his sunglasses and sat across from her. Either way, Michiru believed him to be sincere. 

Two Moons Cafe was a quaint, popular spot in the city due to the fast service, fresh baked goods, and coffee art featured on all the speciality espresso drinks. The baristas drew two crescent moons on every drink topped with steamed milk and the result was always picture perfect. Michiru and Setsuna frequented this location often. 

Being a regular patron, Michiru was already familiar with the coffee bar, celestial and moon phase decorations, and menu. Instead of observing the coffee shop or browsing the menu, she focused her attention on her date instead. He unbuttoned his coat without removing it, took his gloves off and grabbed the espresso menu waiting in the holder against the wall. 

“You said you come here often, right? What do you recommend?” Haruka asked as his narrow eyes skimmed the list of offerings. 

Michiru took a deep breath to steady herself. She wasn’t sure how she would get through sitting still with the magnetic current pulling her towards him. At least at the art exhibit they were walking. 

“You like espresso, right?” Haruka nodded, so she continued. “The macchiatos are very good. And if you have a sweet tooth I recommend the Moonlight Mocha drink. It has a shot of dark chocolate.”

“That does sound good.” Haruka admitted. “Scones? Muffins?”

“A batch of cranberry orange scones just came out of the oven,” a waitress interrupted as she approached their booth. 

“We’ll take two of those, then.” Haruka took the waitress’ suggestion. They each ordered their drinks and watched the waitress scurry away. 

“Here’s hoping she doesn’t recognize me,” Haruka leaned forward and spoke just above a whisper. 

“Even my university newspaper jumped on the chance to feature you in an article.” 

“I’m used to it, for the most part. It just isn’t fair to you,” Haruka said apologetically. 

“It’s fine. I expected it. I performed my due diligence on you before my interview, you know.” Muchiru found her coy, teasing tone again, and made sure to use it to her advantage. 

Her date chuckled. “I don’t doubt that.”

The waitress returned with their espresso drinks and scones. Relieved to have something to do with her hands, Michiru grabbed her white cup. The two moons signature image was crafted into the steamed milk. Looking at it always gave Michiru a wistful smile. 

“I hope the first night of your internship goes smoothly,” Haruka offered. 

“Thanks.” Michiru watched the fingers of one of his hands wrap around the ivory ceramic and lift the cup to his lips. “Anything I should know?”

Haruka licked the froth from his top lip and Michiru had to stifle a moan. “Not really. Kawakami is a stubborn bastard. But nothing you can’t handle.”

“How do you know what I can handle?” Michiru’s salacious tease came out before she could stop herself. Yes, she flirted with nearly everyone, but flirting with this young billionaire who turned her stomach in knots by just being in her presence was different. Not in the sense that she didn’t like him, but because she liked him too much. 

He blushed, and it made her feel worse. 

“You’re right, I don’t have any idea.” Haruka hid his hands beneath the table. Michiru almost frowned; she enjoyed watching his hands and imagining what they could do. She considered apologizing for her inappropriate joke, but he cleared his throat and continued. 

“We’ve only just met. And, well, I think that… there’s something about you… I was wondering if you’d be interested in pursuing a more structured, official relationship. With me.”

Michiru stopped chewing her food. The confident persona he exuded previously was crumbling before her very eyes. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he was avoiding eye contact. 

Judging by the magazine articles and photos she viewed online while researching him, he almost always had a woman accompanying him. Attractive, rich women at that. 

So why was he so nervous asking her out? 

Michiru briefly entertained the notion that it was for the same reason she couldn’t get him out of her head. 

She finally swallowed her food. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Mr. Tenoh?”

“I’m asking if you will come to my place for dinner tonight so we can discuss the matter further,” he blurted before hiding behind the safety of his drink. 

Michiru wasn’t entirely sure what there was to discuss. Of course, she had never dated anyone worth much of anything, let alone billions of American dollars. She’d never dated anyone, she had to remind herself. 

Was she ready to start now? To be more vulnerable with someone outside of brief moments of passion? 

Michiru was not entirely sure. However, deep in her heart she knew the thought of never seeing Haruka again felt worse than the stomach butterflies and persistent electrical current she suffered when they were together. 

And, she reasoned with herself, she was only agreeing to dinner. For now. 

“It will have to be a late dinner.”

“Your internship ends at eight. You’re taking the metro, right?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I can have my chauffeur pick you up at the gallery and bring you to my house.” His professional demeanor faltered when he remembered who he was talking to. “If, um, you don’t mind… that is.”

Michiru giggled into her drink. “That’s fine. I prefer not to walk or take the metro at night anyway.”

If Haruka had any guesses as to why, he didn’t share them. With his proposition over, the young businessman relaxed considerably. They settled into a casual conversation. Haruka asked safe questions, mostly about school and her hobbies. Michiru didn’t know what to ask a wealthy twenty-one year old, so she relied on answering his questions, teasing him, and trying to keep her thoughts from wandering. 

Haruka Tenoh was back to his professional, confident self. When Michiru’s thoughts wandered and her gaze turned lusty he would blush and stare into his espresso. She found his self-assured nature, speckled with boyish charm and shyness, incredibly sexy. 

Haruka’s cell phone vibrated against his chest. He reached for the inside pocket and pulled it out. With a slight frown he read his messages. 

“I have to get going,” he grumbled. 

The waitress had already left the bill while they chatted. Haruka reached inside his coat again, this time procuring a leather wallet. He dropped a twenty dollar bill on the table. 

Michiru knew most girls argued over men picking up the tab for dates. She understood the reasoning behind it, but decided it would be pointless. Not only had Haruka shown he was somewhat old fashioned when it came to dating, but he was, literally, a billionaire. It seemed silly to fight over a twenty dollar tab. 

Haruka slipped his leather gloves back on and stood. “Would you like a ride anywhere? To NYU?”

Michiru shook her head. “No thank you.”

Haruka frowned but accepted her answer. “Oh, what do you want for dinner?”

Michiru knew one thing the two of them had in common. “Japanese.”

“Done.” Haruka smiled. 

Without warning, he leaned down to meet her seated gaze. Haruka cupped her chin with his hand and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. His lips were soft, pink rose petals. Unlike other men’s lips she had kissed, Michiru did not feel any stubble. His scent was hard to place; it was musky, but subtle. Michiru closed her eyes and found herself deeply inhaling a midnight breeze as it carried ocean mist to the shore. 

Coupling that with the current quickening in her bloodstream, Michiru was grateful to already be seated. 

“See you tonight,” Haruka whispered before taking his leave. 

Michiru sat in a stupor for a long while. She could still feel his lips against her forehead. In fact, it was twitching now, in the same spot as before. 

Michiru picked up her coffee cup, only to find it empty. She sighed, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Her cerulean eyes looked about the cafe, finding it empty, safe for their waitress who gave her a knowing wink. 

Michiru tried to smile back, but the overwhelming confusion and lust coiling in her lower abdomen made her release a desperate groan instead. 

“Dinner. I can handle dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short because I tried combining it with events from the upcoming chapter, and it all ended up being too long. This was the most logical place to split it. Thoughts and feedback are always welcome, as this is a work in progress. Thanks for all the comments so far!


	4. The Contract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru goes to dinner at Haruka's, where she is propositioned with an unexpected business arrangement.

The Contract

♆

_“I’m supposed to be on patrol,” she whispers but doesn’t move to leave._

_We are lounging in a naturally formulated pool. There are blue, jagged slabs of bedrock containing our personal bath. Steam curls around her pale, muscular form. Her pert breasts are firm and heaving. They are irresistible. I’m squeezing the hard nipples between my fingers and reveling in how easy it is to excite her._

_“You can go…” I respond coyly before my teeth sink into her flesh. I taste her so vividly; salt and spontaneity and skies._

_She groans and sinks further into the chilling waters. Her body is as familiar as my own. I know where to stroke and squeeze to elicit the responses I desire. She squirms as I suck at the crook of her neck, intent to leave a mark as proof of my conquest._

_“You’re so cruel.” Her golden head tilts back. Cruel, she says. And in that moment I know I am, but I also know she loves it and our relationship thrives on it._

_“If I’m so cruel… You can go,” I repeat with a smile. Her skin prickles from the cold. The atmosphere is sub zero, but in this fantasy I’m not cold at all. I’m aroused, alive, and warm against this mysterious woman’s body._

_Whenever I dream of her, the results are always the same. She is more familiar than my own body, yet when I wake up her smile and lustful gaze are out of reach. Even when I can see her vivid golden aura so clearly mingling with my own and feel the heat between her legs spreading out before me, the sensations vanish with the rising sun._

_“Or… If I get caught I’ll blame you for this insubordination. Even the queen knows you’re the instigator.”_

_“Is that so?” She whimpers a reply when my slick, wet thigh presses against her yearning sex. “She won’t punish us, the romantic that she is.”_

_“I don’t know…” Wet hands explore the curves of my ribs, my breasts, my hips, as if she is touching me for the first time. I innately know this is a memory plucked from a vast ocean of stolen moments. The intimacy in our familiarity is potent. My body leaps at the chance to welcome her hands upon it._

_As if to tease me in kind, she presses her palm against my sex, angling it just enough to send shocks of electricity through me. The water submerging us, an outward extension of my own being, begins to roll and bubble._

_The faceless woman laughs. Its sensuous, husky, and disturbingly familiar. “That never gets old.”_

_“I’ll show you something else that never gets old.”_

♆

Michiru snapped out of her lucid dream, realizing she had fallen asleep in the Fine Arts wing. She craned her head about, grateful to see no apparent witnesses to her embarrassing wake up call. Dreadful nostalgia for the imaginary woman coated her like a smothering blanket. 

Michiru tried to go about the rest of her day without thinking about that dream or Haruka Tenoh, but she failed miserably. Whether she would admit it to herself or not, Michiru was completely head over heels for the richest businessman on Earth, who by a fluke of the cosmos, seemed interested in her as well. She daydreamed about his flustered smile and lips against her forehead throughout the remainder of her classes. 

After not recalling anything her professors had said all day, she went to the studio to try painting. Michiru mixed some colors and tried painting an ocean, but ended up painting Haruka’s smokey gaze instead. With no time left, she hid her vanity project in a closet and made her way to the station. Michiru tried sobering up during her metro ride to the art gallery. First impressions meant everything, or so her father had always said, so she refused to be anything but one hundred and ten percent on task. 

Director Kawakami was stubborn, as Haruka said, but he gave her space and allowed her to shadow him for her first shift. He was tall, though not as tall as Haruka, and thin as a reed. Thick glasses sat on the bridge of his pronounced nose. Thick silver hair, slightly longer than Haruka’s, tickled his glasses. He often looked at everything through a judgmental glare, but when his eyes fell upon her his demeanor shifted drastically. 

His mannerisms and accent hinted that he was from Japan, so she assumed that might be part of the reason he was fond of her. Or perhaps he knew about her parents, to which she hoped against, because the thought of obtaining this internship out of pity infuriated her. The lingering sense of helplessness she felt since her parents died magnified whenever she imagined someone might feel sorry for her about the unfortunate accident. 

Despite being anxious about dinner and functioning in a general haze, Michiru’s first night working went off without a hitch. The director offered her a ride home, which she politely declined as she left his office. He said something after her, but she was already checking her text messages and tuned out to her surroundings. 

There was a text from Setsuna, inquiring on whether she would want dinner. Michiru sent a quick reply indicating she had plans and that her first night interning went well. 

Then she noticed she had a few texts from Haruka. 

_I had my chef prepare udon and yakitori. I hope that’s ok._

And another, _My chauffeur's name is Joshua Greenfield. He drives a black Lamborghini._

“Of course he does.” Michiru rolled her eyes. 

The final text made her chest tighten. _I hope my proposal doesn’t scare you away._

Michiru grabbed her Gucci jacket and zipped it while contemplating the meaning behind his text and how she should respond. Deciding against bringing up whatever this “proposal” was, she shot back a quick response. 

_Dinner sounds wonderful. See you soon._

Michiru stepped out into the late winter evening. The city lights were bright as always, and made the snow glisten. She walked down the steps toward the street and was met by a man standing at attention beside a parked black vehicle. Assuming him to be her ride, she approached. He wore sunglasses, and his jaw was set firm beneath black stubble. 

“Ms. Kaiou?” his gruff voice inquired.

Michiru noticed he wore an earpiece and, more shockingly, a pistol holstered at his hip. She should have expected Mr. Tenoh to hire armed security. The fact that it was a realistic expectation she hadn’t anticipated made her uneasy. 

“Yes. Mr. Greenfield?”

He briskly nodded and opened the rear passenger side door for her. Michiru sat down in the clean, sleek vehicle and buckled herself in. The dashboard was backlit with blue lights. She noticed he had a classic rock station turned on, but the volume was too low to hear. His GPS map was loaded on the large console. Michiru took a deep breath as she gazed about the expensive car. 

The driver door opened. Joshua sat and buckled himself in one fluid motion. “Mr. Tenoh gave me instructions to drive you straight to his home. We should be there in twenty minutes.”

Michiru nodded in the dark. Joshua put the car into gear and pulled into traffic at the first opportunity. She did not catch him glancing at her in the rearview mirror even once as they headed to their destination. 

Without conversation to occupy her mind, she checked her phone. There was a short confirmation from Setsuna. 

Michiru hadn’t expected anything lengthier; Setsuna rarely asked for details when it came to what she was doing in her spare time. She had no other texts. Michiru checked her school email account and began reading messages regarding the next swim meet and practice times. After exhausting those emails, she began reading through a group email discussion about planning the next art club fundraiser. 

She was only halfway through the email chain when she felt the car changing gear. Joshua turned them onto a private driveway, which led to an enormous seaside home. There were lightposts guiding the path to the main gate. Joshua stopped the car, showed his badge, and explained Michiru’s presence before the security guard sitting in the booth opened the metal gate. 

The car continued up the gravel drive and into a two-story parking garage. Michiru’s eyes widened as she studied all the polished, pristine sports cars of varying colors and sizes. She read that Haruka was into sports cars and racing, but she never imagined he had millions of dollars worth of vehicles nestled in one garage. 

“He can’t possibly drive all of these,” Michiru commented.

She caught Joshua’s grin in the rearview mirror. He knew better than to reply. Seeing him smile was reassuring; perhaps he did have a sense of humor after all. 

After parking the car, Joshua opened her door and led her through the garage. “This way, ma’am. The elevator will take us to the main entrance.”

She absently nodded her teal head while absorbing this seaside mansion’s garage. Her unusual surroundings helped to take her mind off of her excitement and unease over seeing Haruka again. 

Their elevator ride was complete silence. There was no grating elevator music, which she was grateful for. Feeling warm, she unzipped her jacket and adjusted her collar. When the elevator came to a stop and beeped, the doors parted to reveal a large, inviting living room. 

Standing at the ready was Haruka, hands concealed in his pockets and blond bangs dusting his eyelashes. Michiru’s heart began beating erratically. 

“Thank you so much, Joshua.” Haruka shook his security guard’s hand. 

“Just doing my job, sir.”

“I’ll buzz you when Michiru is ready to go home.” Haruka casually grabbed Michiru’s hand and led her from the elevator. She stood, speechless, watching Joshua leave and trying to ignore the feeling spreading from their conjoined hands. 

“Can I take your jacket?” Haruka asked once they were alone. 

“Oh, yes. Please,” Michiru answered. She finished removing the leather jacket and watched as he hung it on a nearby rack. 

“Can I give you a tour?” Haruka offered. 

Michiru opened her mouth to respond, but her stomach answered for her. A loud grumble emanated from her hungry belly. She hadn’t had anything to eat since her scone that morning, and her stomach was protesting. 

“We’ll eat first, then.” Haruka broke into a half-smile. “Follow me.”

Michiru followed him through room after spacious room. The walls were white or grey, but every cushioned piece of furniture she saw was the same shade of navy blue. Gorgeous chandeliers hung from the ceilings. One room had a bar, a lounge chair, and a grand piano. She made a mental note to ask him later if he played. 

They eventually reached a dimly-lit, private dining room. A fireplace heated the intimate space, and a silver candelabra with five lit candles acted as the centerpiece. The table cloth was black silk, and holding it down were their bowls of udon and glasses of lemon water and champagne. 

“I asked Angela to make vegetarian udon.” Haruka pulled Michiru’s seat out for her. 

“It smells divine.” Michiru said as she sat down. “Just like I remember it.”

Haruka sat himself across the small, round table. He unfolded his napkin and spread it across his lap. “One of the reasons I hired her to be my chef is because she toured the world, working for at least a year in China, Japan, Russia, Italy, Ireland, and Germany. She became a master in each of those cuisines before moving onto the next country.”

Michiru dipped the wooden spoon to gather some of the broth. She brought it to her lips and sipped. The ginger, soy sauce, and rice vinegar medley was heavenly. She sighed as the hot broth coated her throat. 

“Tastes just like I remember,” Michiru complimented. “Angela knows her craft.”

“Wait until you try her yakitori.” 

After sipping a few spoonfuls of broth, Michiru grabbed the chopsticks and began to eat the noodles, mushrooms, and scallions. This was the best udon she had since coming to America, and she savored every mouthful. She realized she was ravenous. Not only ravenous, but no longer as nervous and nauseous as earlier. Michiru took advantage of her relaxed state and finished her bowl in less than five minutes. 

Content and no longer distracted by hunger, she reached for the champagne and took a sip of the bubbly rose liquid. Haruka knew she was underage, but if he had any reservations about serving her alcohol, he did not show them. 

“Are you going to tell me about this frightening proposal?” Michiru asked after drinking half a glass of liquid courage. A male server took away their empty bowls and chopsticks. 

Haruka reached inside of his suit. After a pause, he revealed a large stuffed envelope. Michiru remained still as he slid the sealed envelope across the table. She gingerly opened it and peeked inside. There appeared to be a stapled document, at least fifty pages long, nestled inside. 

“What is this?”

“A master contract. For you to edit to best suit your needs. If you’re still interested, I mean.” His voice wavered. Michiru noticed his cheeks turning rouge again. 

“I don’t understand…” Michiru read the first few pages, not noticing when the server brought out the main course. 

Haruka sat in silence, not eating or moving, as Michiru read through the contract and began making sense of what exactly she was looking at. 

_First and foremost, the Submissive shall agree to a full blood panel including, but not limited to, sexually transmitted infections and diseases, to be paid for by the Dominant. Only after negative results are submitted to the Dominant, will the signed contract become valid._

Broth rolled in Michiru’s stomach. Michiru looked up at Haruka. “I’ll have you know, I’m… what is the American expression? Healthy as a horse.” Her half-hearted attempt to mask unease with humor was disingenuous, but at least true.

The young man chuckled nervously. “How so?”

“I’ve never been sick. Not once. Not even a common cold.” 

“Neither have I,” Haruka countered. 

Michiru was not sure if he was being facetious or not, so she continued in her reading. This was a non-disclosure agreement, which she understood and could not entirely fault him for. Having his lovers screened for sexually transmitted diseases made sense. Forcing them to sign a contract seemed over the top, but she chalked it up to either eccentric behavior often displayed by the wealthy and out-of-touch, or perhaps the result of being scorned by a past lover. 

However, when she came upon pages listing sexual activities and toys she assumed she was supposed to approve or disapprove, her empathy began to waver. 

Michiru fished out a silver pen from the envelope and used the tip to guide her through the lists she couldn’t believe she was reading. 

_The Submissive will agree to the use of the following at the Dominant’s request: rope, chain, whips, dildos, vibrators, handcuffs, kegels, gags, nipple clamps, vaginal clamps, strap-ons, blindfolds, suspension rods…_

Michiru never would have considered herself naive before this moment. While she knew what every item on the list was, she hadn’t pictured herself using at least half of them. Without committing to removing anything from the list just yet, she continued. 

_The Submissive will agree to the following activities at the Dominant’s request: oral sex, anal sex, vaginal fisting, anal fisting, spanking, edging, suspension…_

Now Michiru knew she'd be doing some research if she truly was going to entertain this contract. 

_Am I really going to do this?_

Part of her said absolutely not. Forging a relationship like a business contract was ludicrous. What sort of insane person went around recruiting women to be submissives in perverse arrangements like this? The two of them had already organically hit it off and could be an item without a stupid legal document, or perversely altering the nature of their relationship.

But. 

But…

The other part of her was insanely enticed by the idea of becoming an attractive, wealthy man’s plaything. Or “Submissive,” according to the terminology in this NDA. 

Not just any businessman. Haruka Tenoh. A young man who could be commanding and confident one minute, then timid and flustered the next. The alluring, handsome man she hadn’t been able to get off of her mind since the day they met. His hands, his hair, his eyes; all fodder for the rushed releases she couldn't sleep without these last few nights.

Michiru had a hard time picturing him handcuffing or whipping her. His fingers were nervously wringing his napkin as she reviewed the contract. How much different was his personality in the bedroom? How confident would he become after gaining permission to tie her down and spank her? 

The prospect did not repulse her as she expected. It excited her. 

Michiru had never dabbled in BDSM, but judging from the document in front of her and what she read online, these sorts of relationships were erotic power plays. Dominants had the illusion of power, but submissives held the true control; for the dominant could not pursue anything outside of the submissive’s comfort zone. 

As she continued through the contract, she found an appendix discussing living arrangements. Haruka’s submissives were expected to live here for eight weeks, but in a separate bedroom. After exhausting those two months, they could choose to revisit the contract. 

If not, she was free to go. No questions asked. 

There was something freeing about that stipulation. This was a covert trial. If she didn’t want to continue, she could walk out. If Haruka broke the trust or any other terms agreed upon in this contract, she could leave. They would never have to speak again if she wished it. Michiru could chalk it up to a bad sexual experiment or growing pains and move on. She’d have to explain herself to Setsuna if it didn’t work out, but Setsuna was the most understanding person she knew. 

“Michiru?” 

Hearing her name, she closed the contract and looked up. Hundreds of thoughts raced through her mind, but as she stared at the man aspiring to be her dominant, she was rendered nearly speechless. 

Michiru dropped the pen and gestured to the stack of papers. “Why?”

Haruka’s shoulders shrugged helplessly inside his suit. “It is all I know.”

“You mean…” She swallowed. Her throat was too dry. She washed down the rest of the champagne and set the empty flute down. “Are you saying you’ve never had sex outside of these restraints?”

“You say ‘restraints.’ But I think you’ll find being a submissive very liberating.”

Michiru could read between the lines. There was clearly a lot more history and information that he wouldn’t be divulging tonight. “And if I don’t?” she asked with an arched eyebrow. 

Haruka took a deep breath. “Then you can leave.”

“No questions asked?”

“No questions asked.” Haruka seemed to relax when she didn’t immediately run for the exit. “You wouldn’t be my slave, you know.”

“Outside of the bedroom, you mean?” Michiru found her salacious voice again. Haruka laughed nervously, which made his voice deeper and huskier. The artist still could not imagine him being the type of dominant this contract illustrated. 

“That’s right.” 

Michiru realized she had not touched her yakitori. It looked and smelled delicious. The proposition had all but stripped her of her appetite, but she could not be rude and ignore the Japanese meal prepared upon her request. The chicken yakitori skewers were resting on a bed of white rice. She forced a chunk of chicken into her mouth and chewed. 

“Then what are all these sections detailing the dominant pre-approving all of the submissive’s food, clothing, and extracurricular activities?”

“Some submissives are all in. Others are only submissive when it comes to… intimate affairs.” Haruka sipped his champagne before continuing. “I wouldn’t expect that of you if you aren’t comfortable. Except…”

“Except what?” 

Haruka cleared his throat and smiled shyly. “I’d like if you’d let my stylist coordinate our outfits when we… go out. I’ll handle your accessories.”

“You mean my jewelry?”

“No.” Haruka’s immediate answer startled Michiru. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized what he was referring to. 

“Oh…” She finished her first of three yakitori in silence. Her humbled response amused Haruka, who also returned to his meal.

“I’m going to have to take this home. And do some research.” Michiru decided to approach this like the business contract he was making it out to be.

“Of course.” Haruka rest his elbows on the table and laced his fingers. A pair of stormy blue eyes followed Michiru’s teeth as they captured a piece of meat and ran it along the length of the skewer. His smoldering gaze was not lost to her. 

Seizing the moment, Michiru bit her bottom lip and returned the stare. The earnest, intense look he gave her, as if she was the only woman in the world he could ever want, made her chest ache. 

Deep down, Michiru knew she would agree to this sudden, unexpected arrangement. She had to. Her body sang when he was near. She came alive when they touched. If Michiru let him go without experiencing, even just once, what their naked bodies could accomplish together, she would regret it the rest of her life. 

Two months experimenting with this unfamiliar engagement was a small price by comparison. 

Knowing she had Haruka’s full attention, Michiru collected the contract and stood. He arched an eyebrow but remained silent as she walked around the table and stood beside him. 

The heavy document landed, clattering silverware. 

“There’s just one thing… Before I give signing your ridiculous contract further consideration.”

Haruka blotted his lips with the corner of his napkin. His eyes twinkled as he looked up at her. “What’s that?”

Michiru barely gave him time to push his dinner plates away before her body was nestled between him and the table. Her lips claimed his with the full force of her desperate urgency. Haruka’s hands clamped down on her petite waist. Michiru groaned into his open, hungry mouth as he forcefully picked her up and settled her on the edge of the table.

Her blood churned like the sea. Her hands sought out his hair, pulling his mouth closer into hers. His hot breath and hands on her waist triggered an ancient, feral awakening she could not control. Something, no, _someone_ , was desperately clawing to break free of her fleshy shackles. It reached out from inside, trying to claim complete ownership of him. Unable to resist the growing tide inside of her, Michiru surrendered to the otherworldly instincts. 

The addicting energy they shared magnified with each touch and kiss. Emboldened by the guiding force inside of her, Michiru’s hands slithered down Haruka’s neck. She felt the subtle movement of his adam’s apple beneath her touch. 

Michiru’s fingers found the knot to his tie. She slid her hands down the fabric. Confident and anxious to feel the definition of his chest, she began unfastening one of the buttons hiding beneath his tie. 

Haruka’s hands firmly gripped her wrists. The warmth of his lips and body were torn away. 

Michiru shuddered. 

Haruka glared at her through hooded eyelids. His breaths were ragged. The heat between them was electric and refused to die. 

“Satisfied?” His rugged voice turned raspy. 

Michiru bit her bottom lip to suppress a groan. She could not begin to properly answer that question in her current state. His perfectly styled hair was now disheveled thanks to her wandering hands. 

Haruka looked ready to bend her over the table and ravage her. 

Instead, he smiled and waited for her answer. 

“At least I know I won’t be stuck with a bad kisser for two months,” she whispered with a coy smile. 

Haruka chuckled. He reached a hand behind her head. With gentle ease, he lowered her just enough to kiss her forehead. “Please go finish your dinner before I add you to the menu.”

Michiru purred as he effortlessly picked her up and planted her feet to the floor. 

Now she really wanted to know how much she could handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm happy to finally have my version of the contract negotiations scene posted! I have mixed feelings about this chapter, curious to know what you all think.


	5. The Pearl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka visits his “Mrs. Robinson.”

The Pearl 

♅

_I’m leaning against a pillar amongst animated lights and dancing suits. Coattails and lace swirl in tune to an orchestrated waltz. Arms crossed and breath dangerously shallow, I am the only immobile figure in the room._

_This is the first Queen Serenity gala I’ve been invited to. So far, I’m not enjoying myself. The music is strange compared to my home planet, the Generals are obnoxious, and I can’t stop thinking there might be invaders in my territory that I can’t take care of because I’m here. Wasting time._

_Besides. I can’t dance anyway._

_I’m well-aware of how unsuccessfully I’m trying not to stare at her. Behind the mask, I know it is her. Only the heir to Triton castle has ocean waves for hair. She is grace. She is poise. She is royalty._

_I bet she can dance._

_My most intimidating glare is cast toward a swarm of shameless sycophants all vying for her time._

_Just one drink. Just one dance. Just one tale about the time I helped Sailor whoever in battle._

_I still can’t see her face. I know it is my dream woman by the intense cerulean aura radiating from her body and the lilting, teasing giggles._

_She doesn’t tell any of the gentlemen yes, but she doesn’t tell them no, either. Keeping them leashed around her finger for the evening is her preferred method, it seems, and I can’t stop watching even as I feel my blood churning._

_Although…_

_I can’t see her eyes, but I can tell her head keeps turning in the direction of the orchestra. She’s fascinated by something. Whether it’s the maestro or an instrument, I can’t discern. My frustration grows, and I’m close to just teleporting out of here._

_“She’s not going to wait all night, you know,” a singsong voice says above the music._

_I turn, surprised, to find a woman standing beside me. Golden hair flows past her shoulders in voluminous waves, tickling the small of her back. Her bright blue eyes are smiling at me, squinted at the edges as if to hint she knows something I don’t._

_“What are you talking about?” I mumble and turn away from the beautiful young woman._

_She scoffs. I feel her breath against my ear before she whispers. “Seriously, she’s been eye-fucking you all evening!”_

_I grimace. Not because of her language, but because I’m jealous this girl can see her eyes and I can’t._

_“What do you know of it?” I cross my arms over my chest. I’m pouting and fully aware of how childish I must look._

_“Excuse you!” She harrumphs and mocks my actions by crossing her arms over the cleavage poking out from her golden corset. “I can’t believe you would dare accuse Sailor Venus of being wrong about matters of the heart!”_

_Sailor Venus?_

_Her tone is lighthearted, but I’ve unintentionally hit a nerve. I look at her again. She is full of vibrant passion. I should know her, given how comfortable she seems to be with me, but as I stare at her I’m drawing a blank._

_“Sorry.” Finding my pride, I straighten to my full height._

_Her jovial eyes roll. “Don’t apologize. Ask her to dance before she assumes you aren’t interested!”_

_My stomach churns at the thought of speaking to the ethereal water creature, much less dancing with her. Paralyzed with fear, I forget how to command my legs into motion._

_Giving no consideration to my trepidation, Venus pushes me in her general direction. I stagger. A foreign object jostles against my face. I raise a hand and realize for the first time that I’m wearing a mask._

_“What—?” I turn to look at the matchmaker again. A gaudy, glittering masquerade mask that wasn’t there before adorns her face. It projects flecks of golden light from the chandeliers to every corner of the ballroom._

_“Hey!” I call out to the only figure in my dream with a face. She blows a kiss at me and disappears._

_Experiencing a jolt of courage from my mask, I approach her. The woman haunting my dreams is masked as well. A collage of sea green coral reefs, seashells, and painted aquamarine waves conceals her face._

_A pair of cerulean eyes materialize. At long last, I can see them. They are partially shielded by the mask, but I am relieved and ecstatic._

_Her eyes meet mine and the crowd disappears._

_I’m immobile again. I can’t even part my lips to ask for a dance. My ineptitudes go ignored._

_Her body presses against mine. One of her hands rests firmly on my waist. The other hand grabs mine, interlacing our fingers and bending our elbows._

_I know I can’t dance, but my body follows her lead while my eyes stare helplessly into hers. She looks at me. Unblinking and unashamed._

_I can’t speak, so I study every facet and shade of blue in her irises. Her eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of her mask, are knowing and seductive. I grow frustrated as I try remembering where I have seen them, but like every other time I dream of her, memories slip through my fingers like water._

_Desire rolls from her body like mist from the sea. It takes all of my concentration not to mess up our waltz._

_“You look so handsome.” Her eyes devour me alive._

_I look down, noticing my outfit for the first time. I’m in a navy suit decorated with pins and symbols as if I am some sort of decorated war hero. I don’t understand it, or any of this, so I ignore her compliment and try getting answers._

_“Why won’t you show me your face?” I finally gather the courage to ask._

_Her eyelashes flutter, causing my heart to respond in kind. I know her. I must. She is so familiar, and yet so mysterious and distant._

_“I show you my face every night,” she responds. Her head rests on my shoulder as we continue our dance._

_“I feel like I know you.” I’m fumbling for words as she holds herself against me._

_“Better than anyone.”_

_“Why won’t you remove your mask?”_

_She lifts her head to tilt it quizzically at me. “I’m not wearing a mask, silly. You are.”_

_A thought strikes me like a sudden bolt of lightning. I abruptly stop dancing. The music stops mid-note._

_“I think we both are,” I realize._

_Her pink lips part in a smile. She reaches for my mask, and I reach for hers._

_Anticipation fills me. My hand shakes. I grip her mask. I rip it off._

_She vanishes before I can see her face._

♅

City lights flicker by. Pedestrians paid no notice to the sleek black vehicle as it moved amongst the sea of traffic. Haruka stared out the passenger side window, reliving his most recent dream, uninterested in the familiar sights of the city when his mind’s eye can only see a mask framed by teal hair. 

The vibrations of his cell phone snapped Haruka out of his reverie. Joshua suppressed a grin as Haruka jumped in surprise and dug a hand inside his suit for the item. 

There was a text from Michiru. His mouth was already smiling before he opened the message. 

_I have a question._

_You’ve had lots of questions the last few days_ Haruka joked in return. 

The pair had been frequently texting since the dinner date at Haruka’s. Contract negotiations were the most common topic. Michiru often asked for very descriptive clarifications on sex acts and toys before she could decide whether to keep or scratch them off the list. 

Haruka was grateful that Michiru was open-minded and, dare he assume, enthusiastic about the prospect. However, the seasoned dominant was beginning to think he may have finally met his match. 

_This is about after the contract is over._

Haruka swallowed. Not only was she implying she would definitely sign a contract and be his submissive for two months, but she was also considering sticking around after. 

None of Haruka’s previous submissives extended contracts or wanted anything to do with him after the fact. 

_What about it?_ Haruka asked. 

_What happens after?_

Haruka audibly sighed, earning a stray glance from his driver. He decided honesty was the best policy. _Usually they walk out of my life never to be seen again. Why?_

_Because if I’m going to stick around after, it's going to be on my terms._

Haruka could not help the wry grin spreading across his lips. Michiru may possibly be the sauciest submissive he had ever courted. 

_Go on,_ he texted. 

_We’re going to have a normal, not contract-driven relationship after._

_You make a lot of assumptions,_ Haruka responded. After a beat, he sent another text. _I think we should see how the first week goes, don’t you?_

_I’ll have the completed contract ready soon. I was thinking I could come to your place and sign it after my birthday dinner with Setsuna on the 6th._

He couldn’t help but notice she avoided the question. Haruka decided to let it slide. 

_Ok. Any more questions?_

He watched the typing notification drag on for a long minute before Michiru’s reply finally popped up on his screen. 

_Not right now. The entire concept is still foreign to me but I’m more of a ‘try anything at least once’ kind of girl._

Haruka considered his response for a moment. _You still shouldn’t try anything you aren’t comfortable with. The last thing I want to do is hurt you… Outside of the erotic sense I mean._

_The closest I’ve ever come to being “hurt” during sex is really just disappointment. You know, men that didn’t last long enough and women who wouldn’t return the favor. If you know what I mean._

Haruka found his temper rising irrationally as he read her text. He dropped his phone in his lap and stared out the windshield as he gathered his thoughts. 

The connection they shared during their passionate kiss was unmistakable. Michiru was nothing short of a goddess, and to think of her needs being ignored, in bed or otherwise, made his blood boil. 

“Everything ok boss?” Joshua asked when he noticed Haruka silently fuming beside him. 

With a grunt, Haruka unlocked his phone and typed his answer. 

_That is unacceptable. You deserve nothing less than to be treated like a queen._

_And I suppose you think you’re going to treat me like a queen by handcuffing and whipping me? ;)_

Haruka chuckled as he read her text. Michiru would soon know more about the erotic link between pain and pleasure than she ever thought possible. 

_You’ll see._

The car stopped. Haruka sent Michiru a text letting her know he was going into a meeting. 

“Stay here. I won’t be more than 30 minutes,” Haruka directed before letting himself out of the car. 

“Sure thing boss,” Joshua nodded and shifted the vehicle into park. 

Haruka closed the car door and studied the building before him. A long line of women, mostly college-aged girls, were waiting to gain entrance into a building guarded by two bouncers checking identification. Loud bass shook the building, knocking white remnants of snow off of the LED sign overhead, reading “The Pearl.”

Haruka felt the winter evening chill. He wrapped his leather jacket tighter to his body. Ignoring the long line of women braving the cold in heels and short skirts, he approached a bouncer with identification handy. 

“Haruka Tenoh. Your boss should be expecting me.”

The Pearl’s guard lowered his decorative sunglasses to glare at the ID card. Satisfied, he grunted and nodded towards the entrance. “She’s in her office.”

“Thank you,” Haruka answered cooly as he returned his wallet. 

He overheard waiting patrons whine as he cut the line and entered the noisy bar. 

The Pearl was a popular, relatively sophisticated lesbian bar. Few customers were aware of its lesser known, and not entirely legal, BDSM consort business marketed toward patrons who used their exuberant wealth to pay for discretion. These illicit arrangements were handled by the owner, Kaori Kuromine, with whom Haruka shared a long, and complicated, history. 

Haruka paid little attention to his surroundings as he beelined for the stairs to Kaori’s office. Curious gazes followed him as women wondered if he was one of the many gentleman callers the owner was known to entertain. He cast a sideways glance at a scantily-clad stripper working one of the three poles. Pink steam rolled from the floor, billowing around her shapely legs and shoestring thong. 

A server wearing a rainbow-striped bikini and pearl jewelry offered him a drink from a tray loaded with assorted cocktails. After politely declining, he approached the guard stationed at the bottom of the red stairwell. This employee was dressed in a full tuxedo like the bouncer at the entrance. It was hidden from plain sight, but Haruka knew there was a concealed pistol holstered against his right hip. 

“Long time no see, Mr. Tenoh,” the bouncer said. His wide head was clean shaven. Haruka looked over his bulky form and rough face. Though recognizing him, he couldn’t recall the man’s name. 

“Kaori upstairs?” Haruka yelled above the music. 

“Yeah. And between you and me, she’s in one of her moods,” the security guard warned. 

“Thanks for the heads up.” Haruka ascended the stairs. His hands grazed the railings, lined with crimson satin. Cigarette smoke hung in the air. He tried waving a cloud of it out of his face to no avail. 

Haruka stood in front of Kaori’s closed door. It was painted red to match the stairwell, and featured a heart-shaped window that was concealed from inside. 

The billionaire knocked three times and waited for the latch covering the window to unlock. Metal scraped against metal and Haruka was graced with the privilege of laying eyes on the elusive gang leader’s face. 

Serious violet eyes glared at Haruka from behind the protection of the glass. Long, painted lashes brushed against bright orange tendrils of hair. Kaori had a distinguished nose and firm lips painted in shocking crimson. 

“Safety word, my pet,” Kaori’s husky voice drawled. 

“Pharaoh,” Haruka answered without hesitation. The door opened. He let himself into Kaori’s private office. 

The door closed behind him, mercifully dulling the overpowering throb of the music downstairs. Gritty, gyrating techno music thumped in the background. 

Months passed since Haruka had been here, but little changed. One wall was a fish tank; filled with colorful, exotic fish and plants with a subtle sea green backlight. Haruka was always drawn to the ocean sample and found himself staring at it for hours at a time when he was younger. 

The wall perpendicular to the fishtank featured a loaded bar stocked with only top shelf liquor. Without asking Haruka if he wanted a drink, Kaori snapped an order to the bartender, instructing him to make a Manhattan. The bartender was a fit young man, wearing a full white tuxedo. Haruka did not recognize him; he must have been new. Kaori cycled through her men and women at a dizzying pace. 

Haruka was the only one he knew of that kept coming around, even after the intimate side of their relationship ended years ago. 

“Anyone give you any trouble, my pet?” Kaori’s deep voice carried a slight slur. The tall, shapely woman sauntered toward Haruka with cocktail in one hand and slim cigarette in the other. Kaori’s fiery orange hair was pulled high atop her head. It’s length reached her unnaturally large breasts, which were barely contained by an ebony dress split down the middle from her neckline to her navel. Haruka had not seen the older woman naked in years, but one did not forget a body like that. 

“No,” he began as a scantily-clad woman wearing too much makeup removed his jacket. “People must have assumed I was one of your gentleman callers.”

Kaori took a drag from her slim cigarette and watched as the smoke she exhaled curled in the air above them. Haruka noted the red lipstick stain on the filter. 

Not caring that she held a lit cigarette, Kaori extended her hand to scrape her fingertips down Haruka’s chest. “Little do they know that my gentlemen callers aren’t ‘gentlemen’ at all,” she smirked. 

The tip of her fingernail scraped through layers of clothing. He could feel her touch through it all, bringing with it memories of the scratch marks she left on his pale skin and the lasting, misleading impressions they gave. As damaging as some of the memories were, he still held many in fond regard. All of their shared moments were comforting in a malformed, masochistic sort of way. 

Haruka gripped her wrist before her wandering touch was halfway down his sternum. 

“Don’t, Kaori.” 

The threat in his whisper did not go unnoticed. 

Her flirty, laid back disposition immediately transformed. Kaori shoved Haruka away with enough force and surprise to make him stumble. The bartender, seemingly unperturbed by her violent outburst, abandoned his post to give Haruka his Manhattan. 

“How dare you presume to tell _me_ what to do! You would have _nothing_ without me!” Kaori shrieked so loudly Haruka thought the patrons in the bar downstairs could hear. 

The security guard wasn’t joking; Kaori _was_ in a mood today. Haruka used his free hand to straighten his suit. The bartender replaced Kaori’s empty martini, which she took and drank in three gulps. 

Her chest was still heaving, but the alcohol took the edge off. Kaori glared at Haruka before slinking over to a dimly lit corner where her work desk sat. 

“What do you want, anyway?” Kaori garbled, giving Haruka the impression she was already a few drinks deep. She leaned against her desk and took another long drag of her cigarette while appreciating her guest’s body. 

Haruka took a sip of his Manhattan. It was exceptional. The orange peel tickled his lips as he sampled the perfectly blended drink.

Kaori licked her lips. Haruka used to feel flattered by the gesture. Aroused, even. 

Now it churned his stomach. 

“Let me guess,” Kaori continued when he neglected to answer. “You’re in the market for another sub?”

Haruka’s jaw clenched. “I told you I’m done with random women.” 

Kaori’s cigarette hand rifled through piles of paper on her desk. A shrill laugh emanated from her chest like nails on a chalkboard. Haruka winced. 

“Is that so? Then explain this!” 

Haruka fumbled to catch a rolled newspaper as it collided with his chest. Unrolling it revealed the NYU paper featuring a full color photograph of himself and Michiru Kaiou together. Gazing upon her perfect face relieved the relentless tension in his heart. Michiru’s relaxed, playful smile brought him peace. 

The change in Haruka’s disposition elicited another annoyed laugh from the woman. “You don’t have your picture taken with anyone unless you want your picture taken with them. What’s so special about this little tart?”

Haruka chose to ignore Kaori’s demeaning tone. “I wanted to know if I was right about her.” 

Kaori finished her cigarette. She thoughtfully expressed the smoke from her lungs and drilled the butt of the cigarette into a crystal ashtray. “You mean that bit about her parents being members of the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra and dying on their way to one of her concerts?”

Haruka absently nodded while admiring Michiru’s visage. The quality of the print was a poor reflection of her beauty, but it served as a base for Haruka’s imagination as he wondered how a young, distraught Michiru looked when learning the news of their deaths. 

“Thus leaving her in the care of one Setsuna Meiou, her legal guardian who is of no blood relation to the family,” Haruka finished the abridged version of the sad tale spelled out in the article. 

Kaori shrugged, not touched at all by the unfortunate circumstances. “My pet, if you wanted info on the girl I could’ve gotten all that for you with a snap of my fingers.”

Haruka sipped his Manhattan without taking his eyes from the newspaper. “I also needed to know… if we look as good together as I think we do.”

Kaori snorted. “I still don’t see what’s so special about her. Besides the blue hair and tight body, I suppose.”

Haruka’s stormy eyes glared at his former lover. “You don’t understand. Michiru was a goddamn prodigy with the violin! She started playing solo concerts when she was ten. Tickets to her concerts cost upwards of thousands of yen! Classical music connoisseurs would travel from all over the world to watch her perform.” 

His fingertips twitched. The same, irritating spot on his forehead began to itch. “I went to that concert… the day her parents died. I was sitting in the front row, waiting for it to begin. And it never did.”

Kaori arched a slim red eyebrow. Her interest was finally gained. “Now that’s an odd coincidence, my pet.”

Haruka closed his eyes, trying to will the pain in his forehead away. “After that, it was like she dropped off the face of the earth. Imagine my surprise when she came to interview at my office… I recognized the family name, but thought there was no way it could be the same Kaiou.” 

The young businessman finished his Manhattan. He set the newspaper onto a leather loveseat beside him. Turning away from the image alleviated the ache in his head to a degree. He did not notice as the bartender took his empty glass from his hands. Haruka’s gaze fell to the floor. 

Kaori’s heels clicked against the spotless floor. Her heady, smoky scent went ignored. Kaori cleared her throat. Still, he was lost inside of himself, trying to rationalize his duplicitous obsessions. 

Knuckled, frigid fingers gripped his chin and forced it upward. Kaori’s eyes were not the pair he yearned for any longer, but he still found himself drawn to her ferocious, experienced sensuality. Over the last six years this business owner, dominatrix, gangster, was the only constant. Kaori could be crude and violent and selfish; but she was also genuine in that she sugar-coated nothing. 

“You seem serious about this girl. So I won’t try talking you out of pursuing her,” Kaori rasped while forcing Haruka to look her in the eyes. “But if she breaks your heart, I’m going to have to break her.”

Haruka shoved her hand away with more force than he intended. His temper got the better of him when it came to Michiru. Righteous anger filled him as quickly as when he read Michiru’s text in the car. 

“I don’t care what happens, you will never send one of your goons after her.”

“You’ve developed an awful habit of trying to tell me what to do on my turf!” Kaori’s temperament rose to match Haruka’s. Her fingers clenched the cocktail glass with so much force, Haruka thought it would crack. 

Haruka was used to her mercurial mood. Kaori was well-known within the shadiest social circles of the city as being an unpredictable tempest. 

Still, this seemed different. 

Haruka’s eyes widened as her face contorted into something… different. Unrecognizable. 

Alien. 

Kaori’s musky violet irises disappeared. Haruka shook his head, thinking she had drugged him as her skin greyed and a symbol burned on her forehead. 

“What…” Before he could make sense of it, a swatch of black lace was stretched across her face. Like a mask. 

“No… No!” Her hands, looking thinner and more gnarled than before, covered her face as she shrieked. Haruka looked to the bartender for assistance. He was suddenly wearing a masquerade mask as well, and appeared completely oblivious to what was happening. 

Remembering his dream, Haruka reached a hand to his face. He was relieved to feel nothing but his own bangs and familiar face. 

His relief was short-lived. Kaori turned away from him and leaned against the back of the loveseat for support. Her voluptuous form was shriveling before his very eyes. 

“Get… out!” Kaori hissed. Her arms folded over her chest. Black light emanated from her forehead. She was struggling, and Haruka got the impression she wasn’t talking to him. 

Haruka knew he was hallucinating. The bitter bitch must have told her bartender to slip something into his drink. Angry as he was, the young man still couldn’t leave her. Kaori was unstable and needed help. 

Not knowing what to do, Haruka gingerly stepped toward her. “Kaori, I--”

“I said get out!” Her voice boomed above the music. 

Haruka reached out for her shoulder. Before he could even try assisting her with whatever the hell was going on, a blur of motion sent him in the opposite direction. The guard from the bottom of the stairwell had appeared. In a flash of motion he forcefully grabbed Haruka’s bicep and thrust his jacket against his chest before pushing him out of Ms. Kuromine’s office. 

“Time to go, Mr. Tenoh. Nothing personal.” The guard’s even, unaffected voice said as he wedged a pistol into the small of Haruka’s back. 

Haruka grimaced as the metal barrel pressed into his back. He shrugged out of the larger man’s hold. Without looking back, he put his coat on and walked down the stairs. His eyes never left his feet as he navigated through the dance floor and out the main entrance. 

“That couldn’t have been real… I must be losing my damn mind.” Jumbled visions of masks and smoke and ocean waves and Michiru’s alluring lips all flickered in his mind until he thought he would scream. 

Cold night air filled his lungs when he crossed the threshold from The Pearl onto the busy sidewalk. Haruka took a deep breath as he stared up at the shining full moon. Gazing upon the silver celestial body filled him with a sense of peace. 

Before getting into his car, Haruka decided to pull out his phone. There were over a dozen business emails he would have to check.

A text message from Michiru, however, was the exact distraction he was looking for. 

_I can’t get you out of my head. My birthday can’t come soon enough._

Haruka sighed in agreement. March sixth was only three days away, but if the dreams and strange visions continued, he wasn’t sure he would make it until then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not a lot of flirtation in this chapter. The smut is coming, I swear!


	6. Michiru's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru's 18th birthday finally arrives, but a phone call from Setsuna throws a wrench in everyone's plans.

Michiru’s Birthday

♆

Damp tendrils dangled before her eyes as she searched her swim bag for the apartment keys. Michiru groaned in frustration. 

“Finally,” the swimmer mumbled when her wandering fingers gained purchase. She turned the key in the lock and let herself into the studio apartment she shared with Setsuna Meiou. 

Michiru was met with Setsuna’s back as she entered and dropped her duffle bag to the floor. Setsuna was on her cell phone, so Michiru remained silent. 

“Progress is slow. They’re... different this time,” Setsuna said in a muted tone. Michiru assumed she was on a work call. She’d known the older woman her entire life, and Setsuna was incapable of personal calls. 

“Should I return?” Setsuna asked into the receiver. Her emerald hair shifted as she turned and graced Michiru with a welcome smile. 

“Understood,” Setsuna said and turned back toward the window. She cut a tall and imposing figure. As Michiru studied her guardian’s silhouette against the sky, an overwhelming surge of gratitude filled her. 

Not sensing that Setsuna would be off the phone anytime soon, Michiru took her bag to her room and discarded her clothes. After wrapping a towel around her naked frame, she passed into the living room on her way to the shower. Setsuna finished her phone call and slid the cell phone into her lab coat breast pocket. 

“You don’t have to work tonight, do you?” Michiru tentatively asked. 

“And miss your birthday dinner? Of course not.” Setsuna approached the young woman she had been raising for years. Her garnet eyes sought Michiru’s out with a nostalgic, intentful purpose that made Michiru uncomfortable. Setsuna’s serious gaze always picked her apart from the inside. 

“What?” Michiru asked. 

“I was going to wait until dinner to give this to you. But I think now is better.” Setsuna thrust a hand inside of her lab coat. 

“Now? But I’m--” Michiru gestured down to her current state of undress. 

“It will only take a moment. Happy birthday.” Setsuna smiled as she held up a small, wrapped package. The wrapping was pastel blue, tightly folded and taped with a level of precision Michiru had come to expect from Setsuna. 

After sharing a silent moment with the woman who raised her into adulthood, Michiru opened her gift. She did not tear open the paper. Her fingers slid between the folded segments fastened closed with masking tape. The folds came apart at her beckoning easily, eager expose what was inside. 

With the wrapping discarded, she found herself staring at a CD case. The cover art brought forth tears Michiru had not shed for these people in years. 

Three strangers, full of love and hope, looked through her. The photograph featured a vibrant little girl with blue eyes brimming over with potential and energy, surrounded by doting parents, holding a custom-made violin and bow in her hands. 

Michiru remembered the instrument well. It was an extension of her body at that point in her life; she lived and breathed the music they created. 

Then, without warning, her limb was dismembered. Almost eight years later, and she still had phantom pains. 

Taking a deep breath, she opened the case. Inside was a music disc. There was no label. Written with permanent marker, in handwriting she hadn’t seen in years, was one four letter word: Demo.

Michiru used the back of her arm to rub away the moisture coating her eyes. Her eyes burned as tears mixed with lingering chlorine. 

Setsuna placed a tan hand on Michiru’s bare shoulder. Michiru could feel the burgundy eyes studying her, but she was unable to tear her gaze from her mother’s writing. “Your parents recorded this demo. For the album you were planning. But you quit playing, so…” 

“You held onto it all these years?” 

Setsuna nodded.

Michiru could tell her roommate wanted to say more, but was refraining. She venerably closed the CD case. “Thank you, Setsuna.”

Setsuna’s narrow eyes softened. “Happy birthday, Mi-chan. I love you.”

The endearing nickname made Michiru’s heart melt. Setsuna hadn’t called her that in years. 

“I love you too,” she murmured back. Her lifelong guardian and friend placed a chaste kiss on the center of her forehead, where the spontaneous pains always resonated. 

Where Haruka had a habit of kissing her.

Setsuna’s lips grazed her pale skin. Michiru suppressed a gasp when she felt a new, foreign sensation spreading from the contact. It didn’t itch or burn or hurt. Revitalizing, warm energy enveloped her entire body. 

Michiru was on the brink of remembering something important. A thought, or a memory, was within her grasp. Until Setsuna pulled away. Then everything was wiped clean as if suddenly waking from a vivid dream. 

Setsuna regarded her with solemn sobriety for a brief moment. Then, she smiled. “Next time you want to eat at the most popular sashimi place in the city, I’m going to need more than a few day’s notice. I had to pull some strings to get us a reservation.”

Michiru shook her head, unsuccessfully combating the fog. “Um, right… sorry.”

“I’ll be at the lab all day. Call my cell if you need me.”

Michiru absently nodded. She wrapped her towel tighter around her shaking frame. 

Setsuna grabbed the doorknob to leave. She paused. “Michiru, are you ok?”

“Just tired…” Michiru knew she should say something of her plans. She needed to tell Setsuna tonight she had every intention of moving in with Haruka soon. 

Michiru was afraid of hurting Setsuna’s feelings. It looked bad, after all, that her first independent decision was to move in with the attractive billionaire she met only a couple of weeks prior. The last thing she wanted was to come across as ungrateful, or in a rush to leave. 

In truth, perhaps it was a good time to let Setsuna have her own space for a while. The scientist never spoke of having lovers, friends, or even hobbies outside of work and raising her. 

“Ok…” Unconvinced, Setsuna continued to stare at her. “I hope you have a good day. See you at dinner.”

Michiru forced a smile as she watched Setsuna leave. The chiming of her cell phone from the bottom of her duffle bag snapped her awake. Trying not to lose her towel or gift, she ran back into her room and rifled through the bag until she found her phone. 

Haruka was calling. Michiru swallowed the heartbeat pounding in her throat before answering. 

“Moshi moshi,” Michiru greeted playfully to mask her nervousness. It was not often she was able to answer her cell phone as if she were still in Japan. 

Haruka’s raspy chuckle answered. “Happy birthday, Michiru.”

Even the way he said her name gave her chills. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t interrupt your swimming practice, did I?”

“What?” Michiru was surprised, and flattered, that the business tycoon even remembered. “No. I’m home. About to shower and get ready for the day.”

She had a passing thought to mention she was only wearing a towel, but decided against it. 

“I won’t keep you then.” 

Michiru smiled. No matter how busy Haruka must be, he gave equal consideration to her time. While in her bedroom, she deposited the wrapping in the trash bin and left the CD next to her old stereo by the bed. 

“I just wanted to let you know the final draft of the contract is ready for your signature when you come over. After your dinner?” He asked. 

“Our reservations are for seven. I feel rude not inviting you. It’s just that, well, I still haven’t told her that I plan to move in with you. I figured it would be easier explaining without you there.”

“I understand. And I don’t intend to infringe upon your time with her. I’ll be home whenever you’re ready. My calendar is clear after six.”

Michiru sensed the distraction in his voice and heard the familiar clicking of fingertips against a keyboard. “Do I get a proper birthday present after I sign the contract?” she teased.

The background noise stopped. Haruka’s breath hitched. After a lengthy pause, he rose to the occasion. “I hope you got plenty of sleep last night.”

It baffled Michiru how a confident, experienced man such as Haruka could get so easily flustered by her flirting. Not to say Michiru didn’t echo his feelings. The artist courted whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted, never batting an eyelash unless it was used as a flirtatious gesture. 

When it came to Mr. Tenoh, the very real possibility of them being alone and doing whatever it was dominants and submissives did together elated and frightened her. Pesky, energetic butterflies filled her stomach to the point where she was almost too nervous to follow through, but the memory of their passionate kiss invigorated Michiru.Their bodies complimented each other. Every gesture, every touch, every smile kindled latent embers into bursting flames, incinerating her doubts. 

Something inside of Michiru needed this man, details be damned. 

“Hmm.” Michiru made a noncommittal sound. Her bare feet padded against the apartment floor. “You don’t need to concern yourself with my sleeping habits.”

“After you sign the contract I do,” Haruka countered. “It will be my pleasure to concern myself with your wellbeing.”

Michiru rolled her eyes. “I’m getting in the shower now. See you tonight.”

The college student ended the call before he could speak again. Trying not to think too much about what the evening could bring, she began her shower and focused on how she would break the news to Setsuna. 

♆

Michiru checked her watch for the third time. 

7:20

She took a sip of water and glanced around the busy establishment. Not one table in the popular Japanese restaurant was vacant. Couples, families, and groups of friends were eating sashimi with chopsticks. Some were holding the utensils correctly. Some were not. Their chatter drowned out the traditional music in the background. Michiru’s ears sought out the soothing twang of the shamisen, but the noise and her knotted stomach made it impossible to enjoy.

Her cerulean gaze turned toward the host greeting customers as they entered. 

Still no sign of Setsuna. 

Michiru checked her phone again. No texts or missed calls. Being tardy was unlike Setsuna. Being tardy _and_ not calling or sending a message was worrisome. 

Michiru called Setsuna’s cell phone, only to receive the automated voicemail message prompt. Too frustrated to speak, she hung up instead of leaving a message. 

The waiter came by for a third time. Michiru took some more water, but declined to order. She knew Setsuna would want salmon served over shredded daikon with a bowl of miso soup. But she was beginning to doubt Setsuna was going to show. 

Of all the times Setsuna could have bailed on her, why did it have to be tonight? They had too much to discuss. Michiru needed to thank her. For doing her best to fill her parents’ shoes. For ensuring all her needs were met these last six years. For always understanding, always observing, always supporting.

Michiru needed Setsuna’s blessing before moving in with Haruka. Even Setsuna’s brand of taciturn, silent acceptance, would be enough. Anything to keep the guilt from consuming her. 

Michiru checked her phone again. 

7:30 

She considered getting up and leaving. Setsuna wasn’t here and for whatever reason she was not answering her phone. 

Or she could stay and eat alone. If Setsuna showed up, she could order her own meal.

Or…

Michiru unlocked her phone. She would rather leave and get takeout somewhere than sit and eat a five star sashimi meal alone. Deciding that rejection was a small price to pay for asking, Michiru’s thumbs began to move.

_I know it’s short notice and I said I wasn’t going to invite you, but Setsuna’s not here and I don’t want to eat alone._

Michiru almost ended the sentence with _“...on my birthday,”_ but thought it sounded too pitiful and attention-seeking. 

She did not have time to set her phone down before Haruka had replied. 

_I’ll be there in 15._

Happy to have a date to her birthday dinner consisting of the most expensive sashimi in New York, she relaxed enough to sip more water. Her stomach needed to settle, otherwise the meal would be a waste. 

Still, Michiru could not stop worrying about Setsuna. Her roommate never bailed on anything. Every recital, concert, swim competition, art exhibit: Setsuna was there or Michiru knew not to expect her. The reservation had been made, telling her Setsuna had every intention of being here. 

Ten more slow, agonizing minutes passed. Michiru was about to use the restroom to touch up her makeup when she caught Haruka entering the restaurant. 

The host recognized the young billionaire. Michiru knew by the way he began stumbling over himself to please Haruka, who clearly wanted nothing more than to be ushered along like every other customer. Haruka waved off the host’s earnest bows with a toothless smile. 

Removing his sunglasses, Haruka sought Michiru out amongst the crowded establishment. He honed in on Michiru without delay, as if instinctively knowing where she waited. Relief flooded over Michiru. For a glorious moment, she was able to forget all of her anxieties as Haruka approached her. He wore an ashen men’s peacoat, expertly tailored to compliment his physique. Poking out from above the buttons were the white collar of his shirt and the knot of his grey paisley tie. 

“Haruka.” Michiru found herself standing, ready and waiting to be welcomed into his arms. 

Haruka did not disappoint. “Happy birthday, Michiru,” he whispered as his arms snaked around her waist. He smiled down at her with the practiced, crooked smile adorning all the magazine covers. Unlike the photographs Michiru studied while waiting for her interview, his eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. 

Michiru was acutely aware of the patrons staring as he grazed the corner of her lips with his thumb. Their lips were drawn together with magnetic intensity. The memory of their last passionate kiss sparked the electricity between them into action. 

As Michiru got onto her tiptoes to close the gap between their mouths, the silverware on her table rattled violently. She turned and noticed her cell phone vibrating beside her empty plate.

“It’s Setsuna,” Michiru breathed in disbelief as she snatched the phone into her hands. 

“Hey, where are you?” Michiru spoke into the phone. She stared at Haruka, waiting with his hands shoved down his pants pockets, while trying to make sense of what she was hearing. 

“Michiru…” Setsuna’s voice was quiet. Grating. “I had a little accident. At the lab.” 

Setsuna exhaled into the receiver. Her voice betrayed emotion. And pain. 

Something was wrong. 

The temporary relief Haurka’s presence provided was a distant memory. Worry and anxiety clutched her innards, twisting them beyond recognition. Haruka drew closer to Michiru when the worry lines around her eyes deepened and she stumbled to speak. “What? What kind of accident? Where are you?”

“I’m--Nngh-- Outside the apartment… I seem to have,” a lengthy pause, “misplaced my keys.”

Michiru opened her mouth to speak. A loud clatter on the other end told her Setsuna dropped her phone. “Setsuna? Haruka and I will be right there.” Michiru ended the call and closed her eyes to collect herself. “Shit.”

“What’s going on?” Haruka tilted his head. 

“We have to go.” 

♆

The pair ascended the steps to Michiru and Setsuna’s studio apartment, with the college student taking the lead. Michiru’s mind raced as she imagined a dozen different scenarios that could possibly explain what was happening. 

As they crossed the threshold over the last flight of stairs, a slick substance beneath her heeled boots gave Michiru pause. She grabbed the railing to keep from slipping backwards onto Haruka. Beneath her were bubbling crimson puddles that could only be one thing. 

“Oh my God.” Michiru picked up the pace, running until she found herself standing before her guardian’s slouched form. Setsuna was sitting on the floor, leaning against the closed door, face bowed and concealed by a curtain of matted emerald hair. 

Michiru knelt down before her with Haruka trailing closely behind. Adorning Setsuna’s body was a long, black trench coat. Michiru recognized it; Setsuna wore it almost daily during the winter and early spring. It was unbuttoned, causing the fabric to fall away from her body. 

A sanguine stain covered Setsuna’s right side, spreading across her ribcage and midriff. Michiru pulled the fabric away, noticing something else. Foul, verdant ichor mingled with Setsuna’s lifeblood, eroding her clothing. 

“Setsuna! What the hell happened to you?!” Michiru nearly shrieked. “Haruka, we need to get her to the hospital!”

The injured woman stirred to consciousness at the sound of Michiru’s voice. With monumental effort, she shook her head. “No. No hospital. Inside.”

Setsuna tried shrugged out of Michiru’s touch without success. She was sweating. Weak. Tears stung Michiru’s eyes for the second time on her birthday. 

Haruka snapped out of his daze. With strength betraying his trim frame, he lifted the semi-conscious woman from the floor. “Come on then.” 

The movement caused Setsuna to stir. Her burgundy eyes fluttered open again. They cringed with a level of suffering Michiru had never seen before. She could only think of her parents, imagining their faces looked quite similar in their final moments of suffering. 

“Setsuna, please… I can’t lose you too.”

“Inside… my closet.” 

Michiru strained to understand her words. “Your closet?”

“She… almost didn’t let me come back. But I couldn’t miss your birthday.”

Garnet irises disappeared and reappeared as Setsuna faded in and out of consciousness. Michiru tried moving the mass of hair away from Setsuna’s face with her clean hand. She could tell the injured woman just wanted to fade into slumber, but she was too afraid to let her sleep. 

Michiru refused to believe Setsuna would abandon her too. 

“She? She who?” 

“She’s such a romantic,” Setsuna sighed. She sounded almost giddy. Her breaths turned heavier.

“Who is?”

Setsuna lightly shook her head.

“Hurry and open the door!” Haruka grunted under the tall woman’s weight. 

“Right.” Everything was fuzzy, as if she were dreaming. Michiru struggled with her purse, then her keychain, then the keyhole. Every groan and labored breath stabbed Michiru’s heart. 

“Hey…” Michiru heard Setsuna’s strained voice behind her. “Don’t wait too long, Uranus.”

_Uranus._

Michiru froze. 

“Huh? Me? What are you talking about?” Haruka stuttered under Setsuna’s intense gaze. Then he turned to Michiru. “I think she’s losing it.” 

Haruka acted as if he interpreted her words as delirious rambling. Given the amount of blood Setsuna had lost, without knowing how long she had been waiting here, Michiru would have been inclined to agree. Setsuna was an astrophysicist after all; planets and stars were always on her mind. 

But she said Uranus. Uranus, of all planets. 

Michiru could not help but remember how intently Haruka had stared at her painting of Uranus at the art show. He was drawn to it, absorbed in a way Michiru had never seen. Uranus, the planet ruling Aquarius. 

Aquarius. Haruka’s zodiac sign.

The more Michiru thought about it, the more her forehead burned. Abandoning her train of thought in favor for the urgent matter at hand, Michiru unlocked the door. She turned to usher them inside. 

Setsuna’s eyes were twitching, bloodshot slits. Her head rested on Haruka’s shoulder. His hands, now coated in blood, struggled to keep her upright. Setsuna was glancing up at him, something like pride shining through her suffering, trying to speak again. 

“The princess is tired of waiting,” Setsuna murmured before losing consciousness yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went through a couple of re-writes. It ended up being a bit shorter than originally intended, as I felt the rest of the evening's events were best suited for Haruka's POV.


	7. Before Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After doing what they can for Setsuna, Haruka tries salvaging what’s left of Michiru’s birthday.

Before Midnight

♅

Everything was prepared. 

Haruka toured his neglected Skyloft, ensuring every item was clean and secured in its proper place. He already planned out what he envisioned to be their first scene. It would be soft and alluring, a playful flirt with the potential their relationship could unlock. It would be a slow burn, letting him familiarize himself with her body. To learn every dip and curve. Every whimper and sigh. 

The confidence he felt only moments ago disappeared in the anxious cramps torturing his stomach whenever he thought about her. 

The woman possessing his dreams. 

No, Michiru Kaiou. 

Or both. With each night and each erotic dream it was becoming more and more difficult to divorce the two. He could acknowledge that, deep in his subconscious, he wanted them to be the same person. They had to be. 

Why, then, was he more confused now than ever before?

If Michiru was the woman he sought, surely his ethereal dreams would deign to show him a sign. 

He realized he was being overly presumptuous.   
Michiru could very well turn tail and run when she finally learned the truth. She had been candid about having sexual relationships with other women. But Haruka’s insecurities did not stem from worries over that sort of incompatibility. 

He could not stop thinking about how he was betraying her trust. Haruka had been deceiving the world for years, but hiding his true nature from Michiru was… different. 

Haruka tried shaking the negative feelings from his mind, but they empowered every excuse he could conjure for his abhorrent behavior.

Michiru didn’t deserve this. She deserved better. Better than Haruka and his twisted ideas of relationships and gender and his inability to divorce his dreams from reality. 

She deserved the world. No, the universe. 

Haruka’s forehead began to burn. He bent forward, clenching a fist against his chest. Crippling anxiety dropped him to his knees. 

This was wrong. He didn’t know what, or why, but he knew Michiru was special. She was not one of them. More than a submissive. Michiru was the embodiment of free-spirited, tumultuous waters; she could only be contained for as long as she allowed herself to be. 

Shorelines and dams and tanks were only temporary suggestions to an element as powerful as water. 

Haruka knew, deep down, containing her was the last thing he wanted to do. 

Iron grips squeezed his heart. He couldn’t breathe. White hot bolts of pain flashed behind his eyes. 

Haruka started to panic. On his knees, he struggled to retrieve his phone out of his pocket. He needed to call someone, anyone, to help him. 

Instead, a text tone filled the silence. Michiru’s name appeared on the screen. 

Michiru. 

Haruka didn’t need a contract or rules or a submissive. None of that mattered to him anymore. 

Only Michiru. And today was her birthday. 

Air filled his lungs once more. The invisible force restricting his heart disappeared. The sudden attack vanished, returning him to the dazed, insecure state that was the norm since Michiru entered his life. 

Haruka unlocked his phone and read her message. 

_I know it’s short notice and I said I wasn’t going to invite you, but Setsuna’s not here and I don’t want to eat alone._

Little did Haruka know, the contract was about to become the least of his concerns. 

♅ 

“The princess is tired of waiting.”

Haruka glanced down at the prone woman. His eyes fluttered to the wound. Blood and mysterious ooze spread outward at an alarming rate. His initial shock upon realizing she was the woman he saw on the news, standing at the gaping fissure where his shelter in India once stood, did not last long in the wake of their current situation. 

She had begun saying strange things about planets and royalty. He tried disregarding her words, but the way she said “Uranus,” kept repeating in his brain. 

“Lets get her inside.” Michiru swung the door wide open. 

Haruka had a million questions, but seeing the worry and despair on Michiru’s face silenced them. 

“I’ve never carried a woman this tall before,” Haruka joked to mixed reception. Michiru grunted as she tried relieving some of the burden from him. 

Setsuna was all but passed out. Her emerald head bobbed with a giddy, light laugh. Haruka would have thought the older woman was drunk if he hadn’t seen the gaping wound. 

“Her room is this way,” Michiru whispered into the empty apartment. 

They took a hard right from the main entrance before Haruka could get a good glimpse of the studio apartment. 

As far as spacious studio apartments in the heart of the city went, he thought it was comfortable and appeared on the higher end of the cost spectrum. Open windows gazed over clustered streets. City lights illuminated the apartment until Michiru found the light switch. 

They passed a pristine living room and kitchen with modern, but heavily used, appliances. Dirty coffee mugs with lipstick stains waited by the sink. A small stack of scattered magazines and a notepad with scribbled messages told a story Haruka wished he could read. He studied slanted handwriting on cream colored paper and wondered if it was Michiru’s. 

Upon entering Setsuna’s room, Haruka was amazed to find it a reflection of his own sleeping quarters; impersonal and practical. Personal effects were kept to a minimum. It was a room for sleeping and there was no time or reason to turn it into anything else. A walk-in closet with sliding door panels waited to their immediate right. 

“Should we put her on the bed?” Haruka asked as his eyes studied the crisp, folded burgundy sheets. 

“Nngh,” Setsuna objected. Her bowed head leaned toward the closet. 

“Safe. Right. Must be in here.” Michiru slid out from beneath Setsuna’s arm and closed the small space to the closet. 

Haruka wrapped his arm tightly around the injured woman’s waist. He took care to hold her hip below the wound while trying to move her closer to the closet. She groaned and struggled to breathe. This woman’s shape, smell, and even the grimace on her stunning face, were all innately familiar to him. 

Haruka became overwhelmed with the same feeling as when he saw her face on the television. 

“What the--?” Michiru gawked when her eyes fell upon a stainless steel safe, standing three feet tall, with a red light panel glowing at them. 

Haruka knelt Setsuna down before it. He motioned to help Michiru, who seemed to freeze up again. Michiru shook her head and flipped open the panel. The small metallic cover had been protecting what appeared to be some sort of sensor reader. Haruka looked at the small black pad in wonder. 

“Handprint reader, I think,” he mumbled. He reached for Setsuna’s limp hand. “Too bloody.”

Michiru shrugged off her jacket and used it as a makeshift cloth. 

“Good thing you didn’t wear that Gucci jacket today,” Haruka tried another joke. 

Michiru’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you knew that was Gucci.”

“Can I guess what jacket you’re currently ruining?”

MIchiru’s cerulean eyes flashed. “Keep it up and I’ll let you guess what brand my bra is.”

Haruka blinked. Her tease came completely out of left field. He felt rouge rising to his cheeks, as always whenever he was caught off guard in her presence. Michiru grinned; she was amused and undoubtedly proud of herself. 

“She… buys her bras at… Victoria’s Secret.” Setsuna joined in on the banter, much to the other two’s surprise. 

Haruka couldn’t help but laugh now that it was Michiru’s turn to feel embarrassed. 

“Setsuna!” Michiru grabbed her hand and pressed it against the display. “And here I thought you were dying.”

Haruka watched in fascination as the lights blinked green. A strange script flashed across the top of the display, a language he did not recognize, before a loud latch opened inside. 

“I said… I’m fine,” Setsuna argued. 

Michiru frowned and tossed her ruined jacket aside. Haruka’s chest tightened at the sight. She bounced almost effortlessly from teasing innuendo, to worry, to righteous indignation. It was impressive. More than that, it was frightening. 

Hauka spent years learning to mute his inner emotions to the outside world. Constant practicality and level headedness were all the business world wanted. Michiru had displayed more emotions in five minutes than he had in five years. 

Michiru opened the safe and gasped at its contents. 

“What the hell is all of this?”

“Syringe… top shelf.” Setsuna tried to point, but could not find the energy. 

Haruka tried to look away. This stranger’s personal belongings really were not any of his business, but curiosity got the better of him. A collection of syringes and petri dishes all labeled with strange characters lined the shelves. 

Michiru reached into what Haruka now realized was a locked, sterilized refrigerator. Her hand passed a petri dish containing some sort of slimy, black creature. It looked like a salamander without legs, if he had to try equating it to something of this planet. 

A mouth appeared on the moist mass, filled with rows of small, pointed teeth. It lashed out for Michiru’s hand. The petri dish rattled and shook the entire fridge as it mashed its teeth and fought against its containment with strength betraying its size. 

Michiru shrieked. She snatched a syringe and slammed the safe shut. It locked and the sensor display panel snapped back in place. 

“What… the fuck... was that?!” Michiru tried catching her breath while clutching the syringe to her chest. 

Her eyes were wide with fear. Haruka wanted to reach out to comfort her, but he was still tasked with supporting Setsuna. He brought her back to her feet, straining all the while, and dragged her to the bed. 

Setsuna mumbled something unintelligible as Michiru pulled the bedsheets back and began stripping off her coat. Beneath the black trench coat her blouse was soaked.

“I think we’d better dress that wound,” Haruka remarked. He tried to remain as neutral as possible, but the bewildering events of the last hour were compounding into an abstract image that felt suspicious and surreal. 

Haruka could not believe she had not bled out by now. The green ichor ate away at the fabric of her shirt, revealing her wound and the copper skin of her midriff. He figured out by now that this Setsuna woman must be a scientist of some sort. If it really was her at the asteroid impact zone, she must have been studying the celestial object’s impact on Earth. 

Seeing the creature in her safe turned his stomach. The obvious question waited on his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. 

He already knew the answer. 

“Speaking of bras…” Michiru mused as she began unbuttoning the remains of Setsuna’s top. The bloody remnants were soon discarded. Haruka averted his eyes as much as he could, but it was difficult not to look as they lifted her heavy body and settled her into bed. 

Michiru removed the syringe tip while Haruka wrapped the blankets around Setsuna’s waist. Her chest rattled with each labored breath.

“I… I don’t know what to do…” Michiru blinked at the needle in her hand. 

“Put it in her arm. I think?” Haruka shrugged. That seemed to be what they always did on television.

Setsuna mumbled again. Sweaty strands of hair jostled against the pillow as she shook her head. 

“No? Where, then?” Michiru insisted. She moved to the opposite side of the bed and leaned down. Setsuna’s lips trembled a whisper. 

Michiru blanched. “You can’t be serious. I… I don’t think I can.”

“What?” Haruka asked. 

Michiru’s hand shook. She pressed her palm against Setsuna’s chest. “Her heart.” 

“I’ll do it!” Haruka insisted before he knew what he was saying. He snatched the syringe from Michiru before she could object. He didn’t know why he volunteered for the task; he knew absolutely nothing about using needles. 

Haruka swallowed hard. He placed his hand beside Michiru’s on the mysterious woman’s chest. Her skin was on fire. Even now, the brief contact with Michiru’s fingers sent electric jolts through his entire arm. He briefly wondered if she felt it too, but he didn’t dare make eye contact. 

Instead, he stared at Setsuna’s heaving chest, which was probably worse. The swell of her left breast hid her faint heartbeat. He finally felt it beneath his palm; a weak flutter against her shuddering rib cage. 

“Okay…” Time to own up to his sudden bravado. Without giving himself time to hesitate, he stabbed the needle into her flesh. 

Michiru’s hands flung to her mouth. Setsuna’s body jerked. Her eyes remained closed as Haruka forced the sparkling clear liquid through the syringe and into her body. 

Setsuna’s tense muscles visibly relaxed. Her body sank into the mattress. Haruka sighed and tossed the syringe out of sight. 

Michiru forced herself to stand. She leaned down and listened to Setsuna’s relaxed breaths. Her hands cupped the older woman’s face. They then traveled south, searching for a blanket to shroud her resting form with. 

“This wound…” Alabaster fingers hovered over the lethal gash in the curve of Setsuna’s waist. “I don’t think we have anything to bind it.”

“Leave it…” Setsuna murmured, sounding half asleep. 

“Hey! Hey… wake up.” Michiru tapped her cheek. “I’m too afraid to let you sleep.”

“Mm,” Setsuna grunted softly without opening her eyes. 

Haruka leaned against his side of the bed. Michiru’s hesitance to let Setsuna nod off had merit. Trying to avert his eyes from the nasty wound, he watched Michiru struggle to keep the injured woman engaged. 

“I’m moving in with Haruka!” Michiru blurted. 

Michiru’s plan to keep Setsuna awake worked. Fuschia orbs shot open. She stared into Michiru’s eyes for a long, silent minute, bearing a stoic expression that made Haruka even more uncomfortable. 

“I’m… glad to hear that.” 

“You are?” Michiru blinked. 

“Yes…” Setsuna leveled Haruka with an accusatory stare. “Haruka will meet all of your needs… won’t you?”

“Um,” Setsuna’s half-smile made Haruka blush. “Yes, of course!”

“Good.” Setsuna closed her eyes. “Now let me rest, please.”

Michiru fussed over the burgundy sheets and Setsuna’s pillows. She carefully laid a thin sheet over the deep wound. Haruka motioned to help, but his cell phone chimed. 

Everything ok boss?

Yes? No? Haruka wasn’t entirely sure. He hadn’t had time to process everything that transpired in the last hour. He should be waiting for his check at the restaurant, not nursing a stranger back to health.

As usual, his eyes fell upon Michiru. Thoughts wandered as she brushed verdant bangs away from Setsuna’s damp forehead. The concern wrinkling her brow slightly relaxed. Michiru wouldn’t complain, but Haruka knew she wasn’t happy with this unexpected turn of events. 

Hunger pains gripped his belly. His stomach rolling in protest gave him an idea. 

Keeping his face as plain as possible, Haruka texted Joshua a list of everything he needed his bodyguard to deliver to him. His thumbs tapped the screen with gleeful purpose, not noticing the cerulean stare aimed at him from across the bed. 

“Is something wrong at work?” Michiru asked softly. 

“What?” Haruka buried his phone in his pocket. He looked at Setsuna, unmoving except for the rise and fall of her chest beneath maroon bedding. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“I’m sorry. About… Well, you know.”

Haruka circled the foot of the bed to reach Michiru. He kept a respectable distance, unsure if she wanted any physical affection. “I don’t mind. Really. I was planning to spend the night with you tonight anyway.”

“Not like this.” Michiru gestured toward her resting guardian. 

“About that…” Haruka’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly is going on here?”

Michiru’s petite shoulders shrugged. “I wish I knew. I swear, I’m just as confused as you.”

“You didn’t know anything about what’s in that safe?” Haruka arched an eyebrow.

“Of course not!” Michiru snapped at the accusation. “I can only assume it’s related to her work.” 

Haruka crossed his arms over his chest. “Which is?”

“Setsuna is an astrophysicist. I know she’s working under contract with NASA now… But it’s all confidential so she doesn’t talk much about it.”

An image of the fleshy, snapping creature in the vial made Haruka shudder. “I can see why.”

Michiru stared at the floor. When she neglected to comment, he continued. “She was there when the asteroid struck. I saw her on the live feed. That was her, wasn’t it?”

Michiru nodded. “Yes. She had to go collect samples, I think.”

“Do you think…?” Haruka let the remains of his sentence hang in the air. A shared thought of the organism in the safe passed between them. Neither dared to voice their thoughts.

Haruka stared up at the ceiling. Something still did not add up. A direct flight was over fourteen hours. And yet she was there, within an hour after the asteroid struck. The “sudden” and “unpredictable” calamity from the sky. It was literally impossible for her to cross the earth in time—unless NASA had prior knowledge of the impending disaster. Which they claimed they didn’t. 

Or she somehow teleported there, he mused. 

An unexpected embrace disturbed his silent reverie. Hesitant, but firm, arms settled around his waist. His throat tightened when the tip of her nose and the curve of her lips nestled into the crook of his neck. 

Haruka rest his chin on the top of her aquamarine crown, inhaling the notes of acrylic paint and sea salt.

Every fiber in his body relaxed into her. The pair stood in silence like this for minutes that Haruka wished would never end. The energy between them adapted to their mood, becoming a calming warmth instead of the electric distraction it normally was. Moisture trickled onto Haruka’s neck. 

Their quiet stillness was interrupted by the familiar chime of the businessman’s cell. Knowing who it was, he ignored it for a few more breaths to buy himself more quiet solitude with Michiru in his arms. 

“That’s a nice ring,” Haruka commented. He gestured toward Setsuna’s hand resting above the blankets. A diamond ring with a white gold band adorned her ring finger. “Is it an engagement ring?”

“What? No!” Michiru giggled as if Haruka had said the most ridiculous thing imaginable. “She said it’s a family heirloom.”

“Oh.” Haruka stared at the piece of jewelry until a nagging voice in the back of his head sprung him into action. 

“Hey.” He gently unwound her arms from his waist. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up? You’re covered in blood.” 

“So are you,” she sniffed and rubbed a tear from her cheek. 

“Joshua’s bringing me a change of clothes. Go on and shower. I’ll stay here with Setsuna.”

Michiru tilted her head. “You don’t need to stay. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other things you could be doing.”

“I was already planning on spending the night with you. Besides,” Haruka held up his cell phone, “I can do most of my work from here. A blessing and a curse.”

His bad joke finally earned him one of the smiles he had been waiting all night to see. Seeming to give up on sending him home, Michiru cast a quick glance to Setsuna before slinking out of the room. 

As soon as Haruka heard water running in the adjacent room, he put his plan into motion. Careful not to wake the sleeping scientist, he snuck out of the room and opened the front door. 

Waiting with his requested items was Mr. Greenfield. 

“As requested, sir,” Joshua handed the bags over with a smile. 

“Thank you for getting these at such short notice. I owe you one.”

“You gonna keep this one around for more than two months?” 

Haruka rolled his eyes at the tease. He tried not to smile, but his lips curled of their own accord. “I hope so. Now get out of here, I have work to do.”

Joshua winked before making his leave. Haruka gathered the items he requested and returned to Setsuna’s bedroom. 

He took every precaution to prepare their meal without waking Setsuna. The silver trays Joshua delivered were topped with takeout sushi from his favorite spot in the inner city. Not knowing what type of sushi Michiru liked, he decided on tuna and salmon rolls. He settled ceramic cups down on their dining trays. A large thermos holding fresh green tea was among the requested items. Unsure of how much longer Michiru would be, he decided against pouring their drinks and instead set it on the dresser. 

Haruka unzipped the tarp protecting the fresh-pressed suit Joshua delivered. It was a black formal Gucci outfit. He grinned while looking at it, thinking about the small exchange they had over Michiru’s jacket. Wrapped around the hanger was the exact tie Haruka requested; the one he wore to Michiru’s art show. 

“Hmm…” Haruka paused and glanced at the sleeping woman. Haruka hadn’t considered where he would be able to get changed with any privacy. Michiru was using the bathroom, and he certainly wasn’t going to enter her bedroom without permission. Setsuna was laying right there. She was lightly snoring and had not moved an inch since being injected with the sparkling stuff in the syringe. But it was still a risk. 

Throwing caution to the wind, he turned his back to her and peeled off his soiled suit. He grimaced at the blood and ichor stains. Pushing wandering thoughts away for now, he arranged his dirty suit on the hanger and zipped it closed.

Haruka barely had time to ensure Michiru’s gift was properly arranged on her dinner tray before she entered the room. Wrapped around her damp body was a fluffy white bathrobe. One of the shoulders had slipped, revealing her collarbone and a pastel blue halter top. Michiru’s saturated hair draped in waves past her shoulders. Haruka smelled the steam and soap on her from across the room. 

“What’s this?” Michiru’s eyes widened when she noticed the sushi rolls, pickled ginger, and chopsticks arranged on silver dinner trays. 

“It’s not five star sashimi, but…” Haruka closed the space between them. “I thought you should still get a birthday dinner.”

Michiru turned her gaze to him. Haruka buried his hands in his pockets, anticipating her reaction. The lascivious, playful glint to her eyes that he loved returned. Michiru fondled his tie, yanking just enough to force his face down closer. 

“I love this tie,” she purred. 

Haruka flushed. He didn’t know why her flirtatious nature elicited such a reaction from him. He was supposed to be the billionaire playboy, cool and collected, but Michiru had a way of completely unraveling his meticulously constructed persona. 

He cleared his throat and looked at the wall clock. “It’s getting late. You need to open your present before midnight.”

Michiru blinked. “Present? But Haruka, I-- We barely know each other, I couldn’t possibly accept--”

Taking advantage of her confusion, Haruka slithered out of her intoxicating presence. He grabbed the small ebony box from her dinner tray and presented it to her. 

“I wasn’t going to show up to your birthday dinner empty handed. Besides. Even if you only wear it for the next two months, I’ll have gotten my money’s worth.” 

Michiru’s eyes searched his, sensing out his true intentions. Haruka held her gaze, nervous and shaking as he was. The warmth of her hands enveloped his for a brief second as she accepted his gift. Michiru removed the top of the box.

It took no time for her to recognize what it was. Michiru’s entire demeanor changed. Her lips broke into a smile, and it spread to her entire face. She grabbed the necklace by the chain and lifted it so the emblem dangled between them. 

“It’s Pisces!” Michiru gasped. The white gold chain featured a solitary charm: the Pisces constellation fashioned from small aquamarine gems, each representing a star of the constellation. 

“Do you like it?” Haruka squeaked. 

“I love it. It’s beautiful.” Michiru set the box down on the foot of the bed. She handed the necklace to Haruka before turning and lifting her mass of damp hair. 

Haruka stared at the smooth skin of Michiru’s neck before waking up and realizing what he was supposed to be doing. He fastened the necklace, letting the chain relax beneath the white collar of her bathrobe. The artist pivoted, giving him a kiss on the cheek. 

Haruka leaned into her lips. His chest constricted around his heart, which momentarily stopped. Unlike the episode he experienced in the Skyloft, his sputtering heartbeat elated him. 

“Hey,” Haruka whispered when he remembered how to speak. “Sit on the bed.”

Michiru sat down on the edge of Setsuna’s bed. The king size mattress gave them enough space to move around without disturbing the injured woman. She accepted a ceramic teacup from him and smiled when he unscrewed the cap to the thermos. 

“What’s in there?” 

Haruka began pouring the steaming beverage into her cup. “Tuna or salmon.”

“I like both,” Michiru murmured to his back while he split the rolls. After preparing her tray, Haruka deposited it on her lap. 

“Thank you.” Michiru froze, dazed by the surprise dinner and gift. 

Haruka sat at her feet. His pale eyes drank in the sight of her porcelain legs escaping the slit of her bathrobe. Without asking, he began massaging her bare feet. 

Finding his confidence in her appreciative silence, Haruka spoke. “Setsuna will be fine. Let’s talk.”

“Getting bossy already, are we?” Michiru teased.

“It’s your birthday. We’ll talk about whatever you want,” Haruka offered. His thumbs pressed into the pads of her foot, earning him a throaty groan. 

The constant, nagging tension between them sent shivers up his arms. Haruka focused the energy into rubbing her feet and memorizing every shade of blue in her eyes. 

Michiru cast a suggestive, coy smile. “Tell me all about your dreams.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went through some surgery as well. I hope I haven’t overlooked any details that got shuffled around. I apologize for not responsing to any of the comments on the last chapter like I usually do. Thoughts and feedback are always appreciated!


	8. The Skyloft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru and Haruka begin to tackle the electrifying tension between them...

The Skyloft

♆

_There are lots of people. So many people. The seats are all full._

_Except two._

_Mama and Papa are late. They’re never late._

_Varius and I are ready to play. We’re tuned and warmed up and I can play the setlist in my sleep. My fingers are itching and the crowd is loud and impatient but I can’t start until they get here._

_I peek out from behind the curtain and study the audience._

_It’s mostly older people. Stuffy men wearing bowties and glasses studying the set list. Women wearing sparkly dresses and too much makeup. Papa has been saying these are the kind of people we should be expecting until I become “mainstream.” The concerts are sold out, which is all the vendors and my parents care about._

_I don’t care either way. When I get on stage and play my songs, the crowd disappears. I close my eyes and Varius and I become one with the music._

_While browsing the people, I do see someone I didn’t expect. Standing out like a sore thumb in the sea of adults, sitting right behind where my parents are supposed to be, is a teenager. It’s a boy, I think, because he’s wearing a suit and his hair is trimmed around his ears. It’s gold, like a glowing crown, and for the first time ever I’m completely mesmerized at the sight of a boy._

_“Mi-chan!”_

_Setsuna’s voice rings in my ears. I’m too distracted by him. He’s so… handsome. And composed._

_And lonely._

_He adjusts his black bowtie. Bored with studying the pamphlet, he begins to look around the packed auditorium. His eyes wander to the stage. My heartbeat quickens and my throat gets tight. Our eyes are about to meet and for some reason that makes me infinitely more nervous than the prospect of a solo violin performance._

_“Michiru!”_

_Before our eyes meet, I’m pulled away from the curtains. I’m a little relieved, for a second, until I notice the look in Setsuna’s eyes. Her hands are trembling against my shoulders. She kneels in front of me._

_She starts to talk. She’s rambling. I don’t really know or want to remember what she says. I focus on the thin black tie dangling from her neck and how withered and worried and pitiful her pretty eyes are._

_“Michiru, please… say something.”_

_I can’t. My muscles clench._

_They wouldn’t. They couldn’t. This concert was their stupid idea. They were supposed to ride with me and Setsuna, not drive in a different car! They’re supposed to be here already! They’re supposed to take me out for mochi after my concert!_

_Varius crashes against the wall. Strings snap. The backstage crew freeze. I don’t hear their questions or feel their regretful eyes._

_I only hear Setsuna’s silence pounding in my ears._

♆

The pencil’s sharpened tip created a muted, comforting rhythm as she tapped it against her knee. Her other hand held a phone receiver. She listened while the client bulleted a list of demands for reserving the gallery. Her chair swiveled in a half-circle as she committed to booking the designated evening on their Google calendar. Michiru shoved the pencil between her teeth to free her hand. 

After reassuring the customer for the tenth time everything would be arranged as requested, Michiru returned the receiver to its home and resumed typing the instructions. Only the rich bourgeoisie types cared enough to specify what brand of water bottles were to be offered to guests and that there was to be absolutely no loitering, children, or unlisted “plus ones.” 

Michiru looked away from the monitor to see the director leaning against his office doorway, watching her in silence. Startled, her teeth released the pencil and she fumbled to catch it. 

“Mr. Kawakami! I didn’t see you there.”

“I’ve told you before. Call me Tomoe.” 

He adjusted his glasses and approached her desk. Annoyed at herself over that embarrassing display, Michiru straightened in her seat and squared her shoulders. Maybe it was the ingrained Japanese social etiquette of her youth, or the fact that he was twice her age, but she could not see herself addressing her internship supervisor by his first name. 

“I was just solidifying a couple more reservations.”

“I’m taking the other assistants out for pizza tonight. My treat. Coming?” 

“Ah, I’m sorry, I have plans tonight,” Michiru apologized. Director Kawakami cleared his throat. A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes before he returned to his normal self. 

“Oh? Does this have anything to do with Mr. Tenoh? The assistants wasted no time showing me the picture of you two together during the art show.”

His voice remained casual, but she felt the invasive, accusatory tone beneath the surface. Her cheeks turned hot. Michiru glanced around the office spaces, seeing no sign of the Assistant Director Ms. McGregor, or any of the other workers. 

“During my interview for this position I invited Mr. Tenoh to the art show. That’s all. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” 

Michiru turned off the computer monitor and grabbed her purse to leave. The director, acting as if nothing was amiss, gave her a slight bow. “Good evening, Ms. Kaiou. See you next time. And keep up the good work.” 

Michiru dug her cell phone out of her purse. There were texts from Haruka, Setsuna, and the vice president of the Fine Arts Club, Elizabeth. She was most likely harassing Michiru about deciding on an event for the fundraiser they were supposed to be arranging. 

Not in the mood to deal with that, she read Setsuna’s response to Michiru’s revelation she wouldn’t be coming home tonight.

 _Have fun._

No questions, no insisting on knowing where Michiru would be or who she would be with. Part of her assumed it was because Setsuna extended the courtesy she expected in return: privacy without invasive questions. Or, just as likely, Setsuna probably already knew who Michiru would be with. 

Haruka’s text was equally brief: _Waiting outside in the yellow sports car._

What Haruka had failed to mention was that he wasn’t driving just any yellow sports car. When she exited the building, Haruka was standing on the side of the street, leaning against a Rolls Royce. 

Michiru did not follow sports cars, but she recognized a Rolls Royce when she saw it. Mouth agape, she stared at her handsome new lover with his hands buried in his suit pocket, leaning against a Rolls Royce worth about a million dollars. 

Many times throughout her short life, Michiru often struggled to divorce her vivid, unusual dreams from reality. And though she was consciously aware of the brisk evening wind, the bright city lights, and Haruka’s energy reaching toward her, part of her was convinced this moment must also a dream. Young, attractive, billionaire prodigies did not line up to court washed-up musicians pursuing fine arts degrees… no matter how good she looked in short skirts and low-cut blouses. 

“Good evening, Michiru.” Haruka lowered his sunglasses. 

“Where’s Joshua?” 

“Day off. I’m driving. Let’s go to dinner.” Haruka opened the passenger door with a crooked grin. Michiru paused before obeying his command. Haruka was wearing a black suit and grey tie, accentuated with a nervous smile. Without any effort on his behalf, his presence always jump started her anxious heart. 

Trying to defeat the fluttering in her belly, Michiru forced a smile reflecting the seduction she tried summoning. Her body sank into the passenger seat as he shut the door behind her. Tinted windows absorbed the city lights. Black leather finish decorated the dashboard and surrounded the excessive computer display in the center. There didn’t appear to be any music playing. The car was idled, but the engine was silent. Michiru’s hand stroked the cured leather on the stick shift. 

“How is Setsuna?” Haruka covered her hand with his own. Warmth spread from their conjoined hands down to Michiru’s navel. 

“I snuck into her room before seven, and she was already gone. We’ve been texting, but she won’t answer any specifics. She just says it was an accident in her lab.” 

“Ah huh…” Haruka’s jaw set firm. “She is putting you at risk. Keeping that… thing in your apartment.” 

Thoughts of snapping teeth and a rattling petri dish kept Michiru up the entire night. Haruka stayed well past one in the morning, eating sushi and sharing stories about their lives and dreams for the future. It was relaxing, and the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. But when Haruka left and it was time to sleep, Michiru’s mind raced with thousands of questions. 

“I know.” Michiru looked into her lap. All of the new doubts about the woman who was a second mother to her made it difficult to disagree. Opening that safe was opening Pandora’s box. “I’m moving in with you soon, anyway.” 

“About that.” Haruka clenched the steering wheel with his free hand. He stared at the Rolls Royce icon in its center. “In light of what happened last night, if you don’t want to pursue this right now… I understand.”

He tried to withdraw his hand, but Michiru sandwiched it between her own. The pain in his voice birthed an emotional, heartfelt yearning she had not expected. It was a welcome change from the constant sexual need, but it also caused Michiru’s heart to ache in an entirely new way. 

She barely knew this man, and yet the thought of ending their relationship before it could truly begin frazzled every nerve in her body. 

“I think that makes it the best time. She’s been raising me alone since I was twelve. We could probably use some time apart. I know we just met, but… living with you isn’t what I have reservations about. It’s—“

“The contract,” Haruka interrupted. He faced her with the nervous, charming smile that melted Michiru’s heart. “I get it. You’re an artist. You’re creative and you don’t like boxes or structure. Probably least of all in your love life.”

Michiru couldn’t help but notice the use of “love” instead of “sex” or “romantic” life. 

Haruka’s eyes flickered to the constellation necklace adorning her neck. “Plus, you’re a Pisces. Creative and emotional and loyal. Contracts aren’t for you.”

Michiru raised a teal eyebrow. “Been doing your homework, I see.”

“Of course.”

“So. What about the contract then?”

Haruka became quiet as he stared at the busy city street. Michiru began to think she had said something to upset him. Haruka took a deep breath. In that moment, she realized he was weighing his options, hesitant to make a decision that could backfire in ways that did not equate to dollars or decimals. 

Michiru wished she knew why. What about his private life could possibly warrant forcing his potential lovers to sign a nondisclosure agreement? What was it that tethered Haruka to such a constricted, methodical relationship ideology? 

When Michiru could bear the silence no longer, he finally spoke. 

“Fuck the contract.” 

Haruka was fast. Too fast. Michiru did not anticipate his approach before lips were against hers. His long form closed the gap between them, leaning over the armrest separating their seats. The spacious interior allowed for Michiru to turn in her seat, merging their bodies. 

Heat radiated from him. Haruka was swift, but purposeful, and his hands found the curves beneath her jacket with little effort. 

Her hands pulled at his hair. She needed him closer. The ravenous beast inside reared once more. Five fingertips dug into her fleshy behind through her satin skirt and she lost all composure. 

“Haruka,” she moaned into his impossibly soft, pliable lips. Michiru found herself kneeling on the seat, trying to crawl into his lap. Her lace panties burned against her throbbing sex. Michiru didn’t care where they were or if anyone could see them. She needed release. 

More specifically, she needed the fingers squeezing her bottom inside of her. 

As if reading her mind, the hand holding her butt traced the curve of her hip to her front. Another hand, cradling the back of her head, pulled to give him better access to her neck. 

“Contract or not…I need you tonight,” his husky voice demanded. Teeth sank into her flesh. Michiru could only whimper a response as delicious, intoxicating pain spread from the crook of her neck. 

His palm cupped her sex, rubbing her clit through lace. Their shared electricity magnified. A shock ran through her veins. Arms around his neck for support, she was all but helpless; only able to sway her hips to the rhythm, praying his fingers would find her wet center and offer some release. 

He chuckled against her skin. Teeth and tongue moved north, finding her earlobe. A guttural groan escaped her lips. Michiru was acutely aware he had her in the palm of his hands. 

Fingers trickled south, just outside of her entrance. He must have been able to feel how damp her panties were. How desperate, how ready she was. How unbearable waiting to feel him inside of her has been. How badly she wished he would throw her down on the backseat and fuck her brains out. 

Haruka pulled his face back enough to smile at her. 

_Oh, he knows, Michiru inwardly groaned. And he intends to make me suffer._

The warmth enveloping her disappeared. He grabbed her hips and eased her back down into the passenger seat. 

“Buckle up, we’re going to dinner.”

♆

“Welcome to the Skyloft,” Haruka awkwardly announced while opening the door. 

Michiru’s legs, tired from climbing a long, narrow stairway, entered his extravagant playroom. Sex toys and other devices, dressers, and artwork covered the walls, but they did not hold her attention. Her curious eyes turned upward, to the window panels creating a transparent roof. The night sky stared down at them. Countless stars and city lights created a dim glow floating about the open room, accentuated with dozens of burning candles. 

“There’s a switch here by the door.” Haruka gestured to it. “To cover the windows with panels that replicate the night sky. I’ll show you that later.”

“It’s amazing,” Michiru gasped while gazing up at the starry sky. It was a beautiful sentiment, to be making love beneath the stars. Her hand grasped the constellation necklace around her neck. Despite her shaking nerves, she smiled. 

“Michiru. I, umm, need to talk to you about something.”

“Now?” She couldn’t help but ask, even after sensing the extreme anxiety radiating from him. 

“More than ever.”

Haruka’s hands remained buried in his pockets. His eyes shifted to the floor. Michiru knew he had a habit of being uncharacteristically nervous around her, but he looked more ashamed than anything. 

“Is something wrong?”

“There’s another reason I gave up on the contract. I, I’m…” he sighed and looked everywhere but her face. “I don’t know why, but I get sick thinking about taking you as a submissive. Treating you like all the others. I mean, the entire reason I’m with you is because you’re different than anyone I’ve ever met. So why the hell would I treat you like them? But then I realize, I don’t know how else to be with someone.” Haruka closed his eyes and shook his head. “And I know, despite how badly I want you, you deserve better than someone as fucked up as me.”

That speech was not at all what Michiru expected. She took her time processing his words while his hands shook in his pockets. 

Michiru already knew what she wanted. And tonight was the night she was going to get it. 

“Haruka.” Michiru cupped his cheek. “I’m chasing something too. There’s been something missing in my life for as long as I can remember. I need to know if you, or this,” she gestured to their surroundings, “is it.”

Michiru pulled on the back of his head, feeling him succumb to her will. Haruka leaned down, shuddering as her lips brushed against his. “So. If you don’t want to treat me like the others, that’s fine. What if we turn the tables instead?”

“What do you mean?” Haruka whispered. Despite the gravity of their conversation, the uncertainty and bashfulness in his voice was an immense turn on. 

“I mean… what if I insisted? What if… what if I ordered you to?”

“Oh,” Haruka fumbled while Michiru nibbled his bottom lip. 

“Then could you?”

Haruka’s eyes widened. Michiru’s proposal, or rather, her insistent compromise, gave the billionaire pause. Cloudy eyes narrowed as he considered her idea. 

Haruka pulled Michiru toward him. “I think you’ve already figured out I can’t say no to you.”

“Good.” Michiru’s heart fluttered when Haruka kissed her with a hunger rivaling their session in his car. “What you originally had planned for tonight. That’s what I want to do.”

Haruka’s demeanor changed, as if a switch had been flipped. His eyes roamed her body up and down, piercing through her clothing until settling, with an irresistible smolder, on her mouth. 

“Okay. I’m going to get changed. Disrobe, leave your clothes on that shelf, and kneel down on this mat until I return.”

The confident, handsome businessman was back was a vengeance. 

“Oh.” His long fingers found the chain around her neck. “But don’t take this off.”

Michiru sank into his touch. She could only manage a throaty groan. 

Haruka turned and left the room. Once the door latch clicked in place, Michiru began undressing. She peeled off her coat and leather boots first. There was a short dresser and shelf beside the door she utilized for her discarded items. A thin, navy blue sweater soon followed. Michiru unclasped her bra, a bit disgruntled that her matching lingerie would apparently go unnoticed tonight. 

Next came the pencil skirt and pantyhose. The room was a comfortable temperature, but her skin prickled and her rosy nipples hardened. The ache in her loins caused by Haruka’s merciless teasing in the car hadn’t subsided over dinner. In fact, the relentless, suggestive glances cast over his wine glass only perpetuated her state. 

Naked, anxious, and curious about what Haruka had planned, Michiru knelt down on the padded crimson cushion. She closed her eyes, choosing not to examine the sex toys lining the walls around her. 

With a measured exhale, she assumed child’s pose. The yoga pose stretched her back and relaxed her mind. For reasons she couldn’t exactly pinpoint, Michiru was more nervous now than the time she lost her virginity. 

While waiting for Haruka’s return, Michiru reflected on her sex life up until that moment. For her age, she was probably a bit more promiscuous than most. From sleeping with men, women, and even participating in a threesome at a drunken college party, her sexual dalliances ended with mixed results. 

Despite her many disappointments, Michiru still continued to chase the satisfaction she wasn’t entirely sure existed. The heady, emotional fulfillment that supposedly followed climax. Even if a partner was capable of offering her some release, she never achieved the illusory cloud nine so often referenced in books and movies. 

Michiru had begun to believe such a feeling, or, such a person, was nonexistent. 

The door opened. Michiru’s eyes remained fixated on the floor. Bare feet padded toward her, pausing mere inches from her outstretched fingertips. 

“Michiru… Look at me.”

Something in Haruka’s voice gave her pause. He sounded softer. Not confident, but not nervous, either. 

He was afraid. 

Michiru’s eyes followed her arms to Haruka’s feet. They were narrower than she expected. The same could be said of his legs. Haruka wore skin tight jeans. The denim was slightly faded, and the left knee was ripped. His legs were thin, curved in a way she did not anticipate. 

Then came the hourglass figure. Haruka’s hips and waist were not as pronounced as Michiru’s, but they did not present in the way a man’s did. 

Nor did his abs. They were present, and defined, but the bare skin of his midriff was smooth without one strand of body hair around his muscles or below his belly button. 

As they continued their trek north, Michiru’s eyes froze when they came upon a bra. Haruka was wearing an azure Calvin Klein sports bra. The shape and color flattered an undeniable, perky pair of breasts. 

“Y-You’re a woman?!” 

Michiru’s face froze as she processed the realization. 

How could she have missed it? They held hands. Embraced. Kissed. Michiru never would have suspected his biological sex. Even now, staring at Haruka, he—no, she— presented as an attractive, athletic woman. 

Now that she knew the truth, the tiny hints she had overlooked over the last few weeks made sense. Haruka’s smooth lips and stubble-free chin. The way Haruka stopped Michiru’s wandering hands while they reached his shirt buttons when they kissed over contract negotiations. 

The damn contract! Now she knew exactly why he made submissives sign a nondisclosure agreement. 

Haruka Tenoh, famous billionaire and heartthrob to thousands of women in both Japan and America, was a woman in disguise. 

Needles pricked at the back of Michiru’s eyes. An image flashed in her mind. Haruka became the woman she painted so often from her dreams; standing amongst a windstorm wearing a flowing navy dress. 

“What?” Michiru grit her teeth and bowed her forehead back down against the floor. She thought her head would split open. It would be a mercy, to release the dreams and visions and memories crowding the small space in her brain that left no room for whatever was left of her. 

Despite the pain, Michiru gave a wry grin. Her subconscious somehow knew, before Michiru had even seen Haruka’s face on a magazine, that she was a woman. 

None of it made sense at all. And yet, Haruka’s delayed revelation did not bring the betrayal or hurt Michiru thought she should have felt. The surreal, intangible connection they shared since the day they met ensorceled her further. 

This tension between them. Michiru had no words for it. It was carnal, and sexual, and yet… something much deeper. 

Haruka was kneeling before her, mistaking her reaction for anger. “I’m sorry for all the secrecy. I really am. I tried to tell you, but… I’m weak. I’m sorry. If you want to leave, I understand.” 

Weak? 

Michiru shook her head. No. Her Warrior of the Skies was anything but weak. 

“I have questions. Many, many questions.” Half of which Haruka could not pluck the answer from the cosmos any easier than she could. “But they can wait.”

Haruka leaned forward and kissed her forehead. 

The tender gesture erased the confusion and sudden headache sprouting from Michiru’s forehead. Haruka took her hands and they both stood together. In light of the recent revelation, Michiru had nearly forgotten she was naked. Now, with Haruka’s grey-blue eyes touching every inch of her, she was painfully aware. 

Haruka’s chest—two round, pert breasts creating a small line of cleavage above her bra that Michiru still couldn’t believe existed— hitched in a breath as she absorbed her presence. 

“You are… a goddess.” Haruka gently laid her hands on the swell of Michiru’s hips. She leaned in for a kiss, but Michiru pulled her face back. 

“Umm…. what do you want me to call you?” 

Haruka pressed their foreheads together. Instead of the familiar itchiness and pain that always generated, a calming heat began to spread. “When we are in private, you can call me whatever you’d like. However you see me.”

“Okay…” Michiru had hundreds of questions, but Haruka’s hot breath on her face and hands on her hips made them easy to forget. Haruka was, in the moment, a woman in Michiru’s eyes. 

In a way, she envied Haruka’s confidence and fluidity. Haruka didn’t seem to doubt Michiru’s desire to be with her after learning her true sex. 

“Now. Enough about me. I’d like to learn more about you.” Haruka reached into her back pocket, revealing a long, thick satin ribbon. It matched Michiru’s hair, and was about as wide as her hand. 

Michiru stared into Haruka’s eyes, wondering again how she could have mistaken her for a man, as her vision became blocked. She remained still as Haruka knotted the blindfold. 

Before she knew it, Haruka swept her off of her feet. Blind, Michiru wrapped her arms around her neck, waiting to see what sort of decadent torture awaited her. She nestled her face into Haruka’s neck, smelling her mild musk and soaking in her heat until Haruka sat her down. 

“Lay back.” The whispered command tickled her ear. Michiru obeyed. Her body sank into what felt like a mattress covered with silk sheets. They were smooth, but cool against her skin. Without warning, Haruka grabbed her left wrist and pulled it above her head. 

“Tying me up?” Michiru grimaced when she heard a lock click in place. She yanked, finding her restraint very unforgiving. 

“”Leather cuffs. Attached to the corners of the bed,” Haruka explained as Michiru’s other hand became suspended above her head. “This is what you wanted, right?”

“A hundred times, yes,” Michiru breathed as Haruka moved about the bed. “No more questions.”

“Sorry, just one...You said you didn’t have any allergies?”

“None… why?” Burning wicks and perfumed scents wafted by her nose. There was no creaking or movement as Haruka moved, leaving and returning to the bed. Michiru felt Haruka’s denim rub against her thigh.

“Before we begin...” Michiru felt Haruka’s fingers in her hair, stroking it. “Your safe word.”

Michiru did not hesitate. “Varius.”

“Varius?” Haruka’s fingertips trailed down her face. The pad of her thumb rubbed against Michiru’s bottom lip. “What does that mean?”

“I said no more questions,” Michiru responded coyly. She was taking more control than she originally anticipated. 

“No more questions,” Haruka agreed. Michiru lavished in her husky voice, wishing she could see the smoke billowing behind Haruka’s eyes.

Haruka was above her in a second, thigh pressed into the juncture of her legs, lips pressed against hers. Michiru instinctively tried wrapping her arms around Haruka. The chains clanked and Haruka chuckled into her mouth. Bangs tickled Michiru’s face as Haruka’s lips began their southward descent. 

“Mm…” Michiru sighed. Haruka’s silky lips tasted the pale skin of her neck, continuing to her left breast. 

“You taste like… ocean mist.” A tongue flickered against her nipple. Her deep voice, guiding Michiru’s desire, became a beacon in the dark. Words escaped the artist as Haruka’s mouth took ownership of her breast. 

“Ah!” Michiru exclaimed when a cool liquid unexpectedly poured onto her opposite nipple. It trickled down the curve of her breast, chilling her ribs. Haruka’s heat followed it, and soon a pair of experienced hands were caressing her skin, spreading the liquid across her chest. 

Michiru assumed it was massage oil, by the heady lavender scent and tingling sensation. She squirmed as fingertips massaged her sensitive ribs, the curve of her hips, and pinched her hard nipples. This massage became a luxurious headgame as Michiru’s skin danced in anticipation of Haruka’s touch without her sense of sight. 

The beast, the entity, the mysterious force driving Michiru toward Haruka thrived in ecstasy. It tossed and turned, throwing electric bolts wherever Haruka’s hands fondled her. 

Flushed and desperate to feel Haruka’s lips on hers once more, Michiru groaned until she couldn't help herself. Desperate for some relief outside of tugging at her cuffs, Michiru rocked her hips against the solid thigh between her legs. 

“Not yet.” A hand pressed on her belly, guiding her back down to the mattress. 

“Haruka…” Michiru hissed between her grit teeth. 

The length of her body became smothered. Haruka’s chest pressed against hers and elbows locked beside her ears. “Yes?”

Michiru felt Haruka’s gaze penetrating her blindfold. The shielding mask emboldened her. “There’s this… energy. This aura. Whenever we’re together.”

“I feel it too.” Haruka’s lips tickled her forehead.

“Really?”

“I thought it was my imagination at first.” Oil-soaked fingers combed through Michiru’s hair while lips brushed against hers. “When we first shook hands. But… it’s getting stronger.”

Michiru melted beneath Haruka’s body. “It’s… distracting. I want you to take care of it for me.”

“I’ll try,” Haruka whispered after a brief pause. Michiru wished she could have seen the shy smile spread across her lips. 

Haruka’s hips pressed into her, applying pressure exactly where she needed it. Michiru sank into the rhythmic rubbing against her clit. Haruka’s jeans were rough, but she didn’t care. The hard thrust of her hips and the sudden forceful tongue seeking claim to hers sent Michiru spiraling into a bottomless pit of lust. The ravenous beast inside of her whimpered and begged. 

Instead of release, scalding hot liquid trickled onto her belly. 

“Ow! Haruka!” Michiru writhed against her restraints and the legs locking her down. The hot liquid cooled within seconds, creating a mold against her pulsating skin. Before she could recover another burst of pain blossomed across her neck. 

Michiru groaned helplessly. 

“If it’s too much, use your safe word,” Haruka offered. 

“I’m fine.” She grit her teeth. The pain was grounding. It didn’t detract from the unbearable desire in her loins as she expected. It was an enhancer. 

Small trails of smoke passed beneath her nose. Burning wick and melting wax enveloped her. In her dark, private center, Michiru was certain she quite liked flirting with pain. Haruka, skilled as she was, bounced her between the precipices of pleasure and pain, somehow knowing when to stop before the pain was too much or Michiru was too close to coming. 

It was decadent madness.

“Are you… trying to kill me?” Michiru panted. In an act of mercy, Haruka tore the blindfold from her face. Her eyelids blinked as she adjusted to the dim candle light of the Skyloft. 

When she came to her senses, Haruka was smiling down at her. Michiru wished she could run her fingers through her dirty blond bangs and take off her damn clothes. 

“Tell me what you want… And I’ll give it to you.” Haruka’s husky voice, feminine and deep, made Michiru’s toes curl. The painter did not particularly care how she found release, she just needed it now. And she did not doubt, that whatever method she decided, Haruka would deliver. 

“Show me what your mouth can do,” Michiru purred. 

Haruka’s eyes sparkled. Stars reflected in her eyes; an entire galaxy worth of constellations and planets waiting to be discovered. After years of wandering the quagmire of mortality and disappointment, Michiru finally found where she belonged. 

Emotions flooded her. She wanted to laugh and cry. The last hour of seductive torture must have turned her delirious, she assumed, because there was no way she could be feeling what she thought she was feeling for this handsome and beautiful, masculine and feminine, incomparable force of nature. 

“With pleasure,” Haruka acquiesced while planting kisses on the inside of her thighs. 

The pleasure, Michiru soon discovered, was all hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The floodgates have opened... We're all in trouble now.


	9. Pillow Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru and Haruka's night in the Skyloft continues.

Pillow Talk

♅

Haruka was no stranger to the taste of a woman. 

She thought she knew what to expect when it came time to feast upon her new lover’s fruit. 

As with all other things, Michiru Kaiou was not at all what she expected. 

The juices flowing from her tasted like nothing Haruka had ever drank. She was salty like the sea, yet sweet and heady. A delicacy. An exotic fruit Haruka could feast upon forever. As her tongue dipped in and out of Michiru’s entrance, meeting anxious hips and guttural moans, Haruka didn’t think she could find the will to stop. 

Not only was Michiru the most delicious woman Haruka had ever eaten, but she was the most responsive as well. Every suck and lick elicited gasps and moans that sent shivers up Haruka’s spine. Michiru was generous with her orgasms, cumming again and again until Haruka was sure she would drown. The electricity between them crackled and hissed with satisfaction, egging Haruka on until Michiru’s voice went hoarse and her legs loosened their iron grip around Haruka’s neck. 

Only then did she finally forced herself to relent. 

Catching her breath, Haruka crawled up beside Michiru. She watched flushed breasts heave in an effort to breath. Mesmerized cerulean eyes gazed upon the stars. Michiru’s thoughts seemed to be wandering amidst post-coital bliss. Satisfied, and not wanting to disturb Michiru’s euphoria, Haruka unlocked Michiru’s cuffs and laid beside her. 

Toned swimmer’s arms immediately flung around her waist. With Michiru’s face buried in the crook of her neck, Haruka basked in her intoxicating essence. 

“Are you alright?” Haruka asked after Michiru spent over ten minutes recuperating in her arms. 

“Mmm…” Came a content reply. 

Haruka chuckled. She rolled Michiru over just enough to begin peeling off the dried wax coating patches of her skin. A large, malleable blob fell away from Michiru’s breast. 

“No blisters. Your skin isn’t even red,” Haruka murmured in amazement. “Do you have any discomfort? Do you feel any pain?”

“I can’t feel much of anything right now,” Michiru slurred against Haruka’s neck. Her heavy eyelids fluttered as she tried returning Haruka’s stare. 

“If you do, tell me. I…” Haruka’s thoughts scrambled whenever she looked too deeply into Michiru’s eyes. After all the anticipation, Haruka thought she would not be able to tear her gaze away from Michiru’s perfect body, yet she remained captivated by those oceanic orbs. “I need to ensure your comfort, after.” 

A spark of lucidity returned to the artist’s expression. “Oh? Then kiss me.” 

Haruka obliged without hesitation. Languid, almost sloppy kisses were a welcome change from the starving desperation she had become used to. Lips lingered and tongues flirted as Haruka savored the taste of her mouth. 

“I’ve never done that before.” Michiru’s voice was deeper than usual. Satiated. 

Haruka blinked. “Done what? The cuffing or the hot wax?”

“Hmm… neither of those, actually. I meant the, um, all the spraying… I think I soaked your bed.”

Haruka cupped her chin and kissed her again. Michiru’s mouth tasted almost as delicious as the waters she was borderline embarrassed about. “I’m sure we’ll both be having new experiences together.”

“Yeah, right,” Michiru responded sarcastically. “What haven’t you done?” 

There was one thing Haruka had never done, and it had nothing to do with the contraptions and toys in the Skyloft. The more she sank into Michiru’s body, the more Haruka began to believe that maybe, just maybe, she might have finally found the woman she was searching for. 

Haruka blanched. “Uh, well, just because I have all these things, it doesn’t mean I’m some sort of sex expert.”

“Sure,” Michiru purred with a capricious smile. This time, Haruka did not stop her wandering hands from exploring the curves of her breasts beneath the firm material of her bra. 

“I don’t know how I missed these…” Michiru wondered out loud. 

“I wear compression tops. Or bind them.” 

“May I?” Michiru’s fingertips flirted with the clasp holding Haruka’s top in place. 

Haruka was tempted to say no. Giving even more access to the intimate parts of her body would only increase temptation and weaken her resolve. She couldn’t give in. Not yet.

But Michiru’s hands were so soft and inviting. Her eyes so full of wonder and adoration. Haruka found herself nodding and shrugging out of her top. 

Michiru’s fingers pinched her left nipple, palm cupping her breast. Haruka leaned into Michiru’s touch. A cool ocean breeze kissed the side of her neck. 

“Do you consider yourself a man or a woman?” Michiru whispered just below her ear. 

“Both.” Haruka closed her eyes.

“Like… man in public, woman in private?”

“Something like that.” Haruka became awashed in in the waves of Michiru’s teal hair, splayed across her chest as the younger woman’s mouth found her breasts. 

Without prompt or reason, Haruka continued while Michiru’s lips explored her chest. “I realized at a young age I was equally as comfortable identifying as a boy. I also knew I wanted to go into business. My adopted parents were so supportive, that when I wanted to go to the most prestigious business prep junior high school in Japan, which happened to be an all boy’s school, they did everything in their power to get me enrolled. So, long story short, I became a boy. I know I probably could have come clean after I graduated. But why bother? I’d already had an image and reputation by then. And, well… I do like that part of me just as much as this part.”

“Junior high in Japan… so you were twelve?” 

“I tested in early, I was ten. Ngh…” Haruka groaned when her breast became enshrined by the moist heat of Michiru’s mouth.

“Puberty must have been difficult.”

Haruka shrugged. As accustomed to deceiving those around her as she was, hiding blooming breasts, widening hips, and signs of menstruation was easier than most might think.

“I won’t tell anyone, you know,” Michiru offered. 

“I know.” Haruka didn’t know. Not really. But for the first time in her life, she decided to put her faith in her instincts and someone else. 

Haruka shifted uncomfortably when Michiru’s mouth traveled even further south. Cool breath against her navel made every small hair stand on end. 

It would have been so, so easy to let Michiru continue. To let the artist’s agile fingers finish unbuttoning her jeans. To let her mouth return the favors Haruka happily provided. 

But she couldn’t. Not yet.

With a heavy sigh, Haruka intercepted Michiru’s wandering mouth with her hand. “Please don’t.”

Michiru tilted her head. “Why? Are you a stone butch?”

“Uh…” Haruka returned the quizzical gesture. While she was still only twenty one, she didn’t spend enough time with her peers or on social media to keep up with current terminology. “What’s that?”

“A lesbian who only gives. Never receives.”

“Oh. Um, well, no, I’m not… or I wasn’t—“ Haruka felt flush blossoming across her chest and face. There was no way to explain the true reason she took no submissives for a year, and now refused to allow herself the pleasure of orgasm, without sounding completely insane. Michiru would either laugh in her face or just get up and leave. Lying would have been the smarter move. 

Or maybe not. If Michiru was the woman she subconsciously sought after, then maybe she would not think the entire situation ludicrous at all. If she did, at least Haruka would know, and wouldn’t waste anymore of their time. 

Haruka laid on her back and stared at the brilliant night sky above them. Michiru stretched sideways, nestled against Haruka’s side, saying nothing as she processed her thoughts. “It’s, umm, complicated.”

“More complicated than you posing as a man, recruiting submissives under false pretenses, and making them sign a NDA before revealing that you’re actually a woman?”

_Ouch._

“Okay, I deserved that,” Haruka admitted. “But no, it’s… so for a few years now, I’ve been having these dreams. They’re all over the place. But there’s always me. Sometimes dressed as a man. Sometimes dressed as a woman. And there’s always… her. I can’t really explain what she looks or sounds or feels like. She’s just... the embodiment of water. And, well… I think she’s real.”

Haruka closed her eyes. She had no desire to see the disgust or amusement she assumed to be on Michiru’s face. If someone had said something similar to her, she’d probably write them off as insane. 

“And what? You’re waiting for her?” Michiru asked. No accusations or humor, only general curiosity. 

“Something like that.” Haruka still could not look at her. In a way, it was a relief to finally tell someone about the secret that had been weighing her down for months. 

There was a long, agonizing pause. Haruka’s skin twinged when Michiru’s fingers began combing her hair. 

“Do you remember my paintings at the art show?” 

“Of course.”

“The painting ‘Warrior of the Skies’ is mine. My dream woman, I mean… Tall and thin, with sandy blond hair…” 

Michiru’s fingers continued stroking her short locks. Every strand, every root came alive beneath her electric touch. The image of the painting burned beneath her eyelids. Haruka hoped she interpreted Michiru’s words, and the corresponding hair stroking, correctly. The woman in the painting very well could have been her from behind, the more she reflected on it. 

“My dreams slowly become more vivid…” Haruka began treading dangerous waters. “After we met, her hair changed.” She opened her eyes and tugged on a lock of aquamarine hair.

Michiru’s eyelids became heavy with desire once more. She climbed on top of Haruka, straddling her narrow hips with petite, but strong, thighs. Lips covered lips, and soon every curve of Michiru’s irresistible body was pressing her down. 

Now that she had recovered from her first waves of orgasms, she appeared ready for more. The more aggressive her kisses became, the stronger their shared energy pulled them together. Haruka didn’t know how, but while her mind wandered with images of Michiru’s paintings, the sneaky vixen already yanked her pants down to her knees. 

Michiru’s self-stimulation, grinding herself against Haruka’s sex, was incredibly arousing. Haruka moved in tandem, playing with fire, flirting with the growing throb between her loins. As Michiru rocked and groaned against her silk underwear, Haruka lost sight of everything in the universe except the azure spheres looking through her. 

“That is… a punishable offense…” Haruka jokingly threatened while snaking her hand between their conjoined sexes. Intense heat radiated from their centers, merging as one. 

Michiru leaned forward. Lips against Haruka’s earlobe, she whispered. “Then punish me.”

The grit behind Michiru’s demand sent tremors down Haruka’s spine. She stared in awe of Michiru’s tenacity. Haruka’s throat clenched. “Are… are you sure?” 

“Do it.” The spark in Michiru’s eyes told Haruka she would regret losing her nerve now. They stared into one another’s eyes, ocean depths meeting heavenly skies, and suddenly Haruka was ready to obey. 

A flash of movement and Haruka was sitting up with a giddy woman across her knee. Michiru’s round, perfect bottom stared up at her. Haruka lowered her head, helping herself to a taste of smooth, alabaster skin. Her lips and teeth became acquainted with the inviting flesh. 

As Haruka’s mouth traveled up her spine, hand continuously massaging Michiru’s butt, the woman across her lap groaned. 

“Your hands…” The sentence was punctuated with the first smack against her bottom. “Ah!”

“What about them?” Palm tingling, heart racing, and Michiru’s heady desire; Haruka found herself careening over the edge already. She braced herself, determined to see Michiru’s desire through. 

“When we first met, I-” another spank, “I imagined the beautiful and terrible things…”a third slap, “-they could do.”

Just Michiru’s voice—blending pain with sheer ecstasy—made Haruka’s entire body shiver with need. Everything about Michiru was entrancing and charged. Haruka needed to feel it again; the trembles of Michiru’s orgasm throughout her body. 

“Tell me more,” Haruka urged while slipping her fingers around the curve of Michiru’s bottom into her slick entrance. She was drenched. Unbearably wet. Haruka inhaled, mentally tasting her all over again. Two fingers slipped inside, and Michiru’s nubile back curved. 

“I… ungh.” 

Haruka had to swallow her own groan. The former dominant easily slid her fingers in and out of the tight, constricting canal. “Yes?”

“I thought they, ahh… looked like... warrior’s hands.” Michiru cried out when the stroking was replaced with a slap. 

Teasing and punishing Michiru was unequivocally satisfying. 

Haruka grinned. “Like your sky warrior?”

Michiru began to laugh, but yelped when her rear received another spank. 

“Come for me…” Fingers entered Michiru again. She curled them against the swollen G-spot. “And I’ll stop spanking you.”

The prompt— no, the permission— seemed to be all Michiru needed. A few more languid strokes, before Haruka could remove her hand to deliver another slap, Michiru unraveled before her yet again. Tense, contracting muscles claimed Haruka’s hand. “Haruka!”

Haruka closed her eyes, letting Michiru’s voice calling out her name fill every fiber of her being. Her jeans became soaked with proof of Michiru’s satisfaction. 

When Michiru’s cries died down, Haruka looked at her bottom, expecting to see lingering red handprints. There was only flawless, porcelain skin. It was as if Haruka had never touched her. Intrigued, she spun Michiru around, and inspected her neck where she left a small bruise in the car. 

“Interesting,” Haruka stroked the smooth plane of flesh. 

“Hm? What?” Michiru was more alert, recovering from the recent orgasm much quicker than before. 

“Your bruise is gone already.”

Michiru didn’t seem to hear her. The younger woman stumbled to pull herself into a sitting position. Haruka helped her up. The shine of the Pisces constellation necklace caught Haruka’s eye. 

“I’ve always healed quickly.” Michiru shrugged off Haruka’s perplexed observation. Her relaxed form leaned against Haruka’s, head on her shoulder. 

The business tycoon’s breath hitched. Their comfortable gesture made her heart swell in a new, but somehow familiar, way. 

“Hey…” Michiru lazily interrupted their quiet reverie. “Those paintings. They look like Shunga. But… are those two women?”

Impressed, but not entirely surprised that the arts student recognized the artwork, Haruka nodded. “I commissioned a Japanese artist to recreate the ancient erotica pieces. But with female couples instead. For, umm, obvious reasons.”

The annoying flush crept up her neck again. Michiru gave an endearing smile. Her pleased reaction to Haruka’s embarrassment made the billionaire less annoyed with her involuntary reaction. Even after what they just did, Haruka was still unnerved by her. 

Then Michiru stood, gorgeous and confident, and began browsing the collection of toys and apparatuses in the Skyloft. 

As much as Haruka enjoyed staring at Michiru’s lithe frame, she thought it was too cold to be wandering around naked. After pulling her pants up and throwing her bra back on, Haruka collected a bedsheet and wrapped it around Michiru’s shoulders. 

“So…” Michiru began. The bedsheet flowed from her shoulders. It became an elegant dress when adorned by the beauty. Then again, Haruka thought Michiru could make anything elegant. 

“Yes?” Haruka was half-amused, but also half-afraid when she considered what Michiru might ask. 

Azure eyes studied a series of whips and flanges hanging from the wall. “What got you into all this stuff in the first place? You said this is all you’ve ever known?”

Haruka reflected on her long, complicated relationship with the woman who awakened her to her sexuality. She saw her younger self kneeling, head bowed, before Kaori. 

The image birthed a burning sensation, resonating from her forehead. 

_Kaori?_

No, that wasn’t right. Swelling pain birthed brain fog, hazing the memories. Accessing the latent flashbacks made her head throb more. 

“Are you ok?” Haruka felt a hand rest on her shoulder. 

Michiru. She was here. Colors and visions swam, but Haruka did not lose sight of Michiru. She was a beacon. A pillar. Haruka instinctively reached out, drawing her closer. Pressing their foreheads together, Haruka released a sigh of relief. A cool stream poured from Michiru into her, washing away the intense headache. The whorls of discombobulated memories ceased. 

“Sorry. I get sudden headaches sometimes.” This one was the worst yet, but Haruka said nothing more on the subject. 

“Anyway… as I was saying,” Haruka took Michiru’s hand and led her on a small tour of the Skyloft. “Her name is Kaori. And I was her submissive for almost a year. She taught me many things. Not only about sex and pleasing other women, but about temperament. Control. Gratification. When it came time for us to end that part of our relationship, I was ready to really begin pursuing my goals.”

“That part of your relationship?” Michiru echoed. Head craned, she was studying a Shunga work of a woman performing cunningulus on another. 

“We still remain in contact. She lives in the city and has a few… business ventures of her own as well. Kaori’s become a sort of business mentor and maternal figure.”

Michiru absently fondled a polished, black cane. It was the length of her forearm. Haruka could feel the weight of it in her hand, and tried not to blush when she imagined what Michiru might someday ask her to do with it. 

“Maternal? How old is she?” 

“Thirty six now.”

“And how old were you?”

Haruka steeled herself for the tidal wave. “Fifteen.”

“Fifteen?!” Michiru froze. Cerulean eyes blazed with righteous indignation. “She’s not a mentor! That’s… that’s pedophilia! She was grooming you.”

“I know how it sounds, but it wasn’t like that.”

Eyes rolled. “Really? Because it sounds like she took an impressionable young virgin and implanted a pretty rigid, unrealistic idea of what sex between consenting adults looks like. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with this-” Michiru waved her hand across the elaborate enhancers hanging on the wall, “-but it’s something you should grow into and explore on your own volition. And definitely not at fifteen years old!”

Haruka hitched her thumbs into the belt loop of her jeans. Even when angered, Michiru was a striking figure to gaze upon. “I don’t expect you to understand. But I think, maybe someday soon, you should meet her. You’ll see she’s not this bogeyman that preys on children.”

The suggestion was met with a scoff. Michiru wrapped the blanket tighter around her frame and continued on, disinterested with continuing the conversation. 

Haruka followed closely behind, saying nothing as Michiru paused to assess a strap-on. The apparatus featured a padded black belt and constraints, with a phallus as impressive in girth as length.

“Do your staff know? About you?” Michiru changed the subject.

“Most, yeah. They all sign NDAs as terms of employment. I hope you like them, once you get to know them. Joshua is like a brother to me.”

“Oh?” Michiru looked back at Haruka. Eyebrow arched and seductive glint in her eyes, she sauntered to her, not stopping until their bodies were pressed together. Haruka felt every dip and curve of Michiru’s body through the bedsheet. She blinked, perplexed and amazed, with how mercurial Michiru could be. In less than five minutes she had been enraged, curious, and now seductive.

“And what am I to you?” Michiru asked. She raised a hand to stroke blond bangs from Haruka’s eyes. The bedsheet tucked into the crook of her armpits drooped dangerously low past her breasts. Haruka swallowed hard, doing her best not to break eye contact. 

“Well, you’re, umm…” The damn stammering started up again.

“Your secret girlfriend?” Fingers pinched Haruka’s earlobe. “Your unsubmissive submissive?” Michiru’s lips danced along her collarbone. 

Haruka squirmed. Michiru knew exactly what she was doing, and Haruka hated how easily she became wet clay in the younger woman’s hands. 

Finding her resolve, Haruka pulled away. 

Aquamarine coral reef and seashells shrouded Michiru’s face. Alluring, mysterious eyes measured her from behind the extravagant mask’s protection. The Skyloft faded, replaced by an enchanting ballroom.

“Are you… wearing a mask?” Haruka reached for the woman. The illusion. The goddess. 

Her head tilts. Teal waves ripple. 

Laughter, like the ocean breeze, serenades them. 

“I’m not wearing a mask, silly. You are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case there is some confusion in upcoming chapters, the narration will address Haruka as "he" or "she" depending on how Haruka currently identifies. Or, in Michiru-centric chapters, how she sees Haruka in that moment. 
> 
> Thank you for sticking with the story thus far!


	10. The Space-Time Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a Setsuna chapter... Surprise!

**♇**

_I stand guard at the Space-Time Gate._

_It is my duty._

_My birthright._

_My destiny._

_I offered to return. With no immediate threat to the fate of our galaxy, and Hotaru matured into her role as Sailor Saturn, this is where I belong._

_Space-Time stretches infinitely. Before, behind, and through me. I am most at peace here. Unlike other Senshi, who can sync with their respective elements outside of their guardian planet, I must be at the gate to resonate with the source of my powers._

_“Won’t you be lonely, Pluto?” She asks. She doesn’t encourage, but she doesn’t condemn. Serenity knows, deep down, she has no agency over my actions. I am the daughter of Chronos, and I must always fulfill my role._

_Memories of my time on Earth sustain me. They anchor me. When I teeter too dangerously on the verge of becoming one with the ebb and flow of time, I remember my mission. I remember my family, and I return to my constraining, limiting mortal shell._

_“Pluto! Pluto!”_

_Space-Time. Everything and nothing. Alpha and Omega._

_“We said we’d come, didn’t we?”_

_Hotaru, no, Sailor Saturn, is here. Standing behind her are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. They remove their gloves and raise their left hands in sync, flashing their promise rings as a greeting._

_I divorce myself from the tides of time to embrace Saturn. She is glorious and breathtaking, wielding the might of apocalyptic ruin at the tip of her glaive._

_I stroke Saturn’s fine raven locks. I try being in the moment, being present, but something urges me back._

_“Bored to tears yet?” Uranus asks as she approaches. I focus on her golden locks. Her stormy grey eyes. Her casual grin. I try remaining present and aware._

_Uranus is a fervent gale, barely contained by the laws of nature. But even her awesome aura is not enough to ground me in the present._

_Neptune, the observant tactician, notices my unusual behavior first._

_“Pluto, is something wrong?” The teal pleats of her skirt flap...but there is no wind. Not in the endless seas of Space-Time. Not even when Sailor Uranus, the embodiment of the skies, holds your hand._

_“No.”_

_I ignore my instincts. I choose to steal a few more moments with them. My fellow senshi._

_My family._

_“Then why are you—?”_

_It begins. A subtle ripple._

_An anomaly. A scourge. An alien abomination that does not belong._

_The garnet orb resonates, signaling our distress._

_The ripple multiples a thousandfold, through time and space, and I am powerless to stop it._

_“Get out of here!”_

**♇**

Crimson light flashed. The security panel clicked open, inviting her to press her hand against the scanner. After simultaneously scanning her handprint and retina, the solid steel latch granted access with a low click. 

She rarely doubted her senses, but as with every time she entered her secret laboratory, the scientist looked over her shoulder before entering the door. 

Automatic lights flooded the large laboratory in artificial white fluorescence. She walked past the clean stainless steel tables and glass refrigerators filled with vials and samples, giving them no thought. 

She remained transfixed on the elaborate control center waiting against the opposite wall. A semi-circle of glowing buttons and levers surrounded the cushioned chair she made herself comfortable on. After touching a button, the sleeping display and widescreen monitor came to life. 

Without glancing down at the keys, the woman entered a command and waited. The video feed took its time buffering. Her patience was soon rewarded when the familiar face of her liege came to life on the screen. 

“Princess Serenity.” She bowed in reverence. 

“Pluto!” The worried shriek she expected vibrated the speakers. “You’re okay! We’ve been worried sick!”

“I apologize for concerning you.” 

The demure reply brought tears to the princess’ bright blue eyes. “They said your wound was awful! That was so reckless of you—leaving like that!”

Sailor Pluto did not respond. The princess was correct. Her abrupt flight after the conclusion of the battle, with such an egregious wound, was reckless. There was no justification for her actions. 

The concern and frustration washed from Princess Serenity’s immaculate complexion. Even the subpar resolution could not dim her radiance. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to yell. We were just really worried, and…” Her head sank. “You really didn’t want to miss Michiru’s birthday, did you?”

“She would have grown suspicious.” The white lie was obvious before it left her lips. 

Of course she could have missed Michiru’s birthday. She should have let Mercury and Jupiter return her to their base on the moon for treatment, not hobbled back to the apartment alone. The entire matter of her misplacing her keys during the battle was an extra, unfortunate event that complicated matters even further. 

There was no denying that her affection for this unawakened, incomplete version of Neptune, and refusal to disappoint her, almost exposed everything. 

Pluto owed it to both of them. To Neptune. To Uranus. None of the other senshi would accuse the Time Guardian of being one to dwell on unnecessary feelings, but in truth she could not relieve herself of the immense guilt she carried. Guilt that magnified whenever this version of Michiru looked at her without knowing who they truly were.

Sailor Pluto was never accused of bearing troublesome baggage or emotions. Multiple human lifetimes taught her to suppress her emotions well, especially those which interfered with her mission. 

Pragmatic. Disciplined. Focused. These were words the other senshi and the royal family used to describe her. Never would anyone believe her to be guilt-stricken or full of self-loathing over the breach at the Space-Time Gate decades ago. 

Setsuna carried on her duties as always. Still, the fact remained; if she had not let her guard down while standing vigil at the gate, this chain of events never would have come to pass. The enemy would not have breached the gate and this conflict would not endure over twenty one years later. 

Every time Michiru smiled at her or she saw Haruka’s face on the cover of a magazine, Pluto was reminded of her failure.

Twenty one years, to the daughter of Chronos, was typically inconsequential. A sigh. A blink. 

But in these trying times, when every day was a battle for the fate of the Milky Way, these years spent overseeing Uranus and Neptune’s current incarnations were years they could ill-afford to have two of the strongest senshi out of the fight.

The princess tilted her head. With a grin and twirl of one of her long pigtails, she dismissed Pluto’s habit of disappearing into her own thoughts. 

“Anyway. The antidote worked?”

Setsuna nodded. “It counteracted the venom, allowing my senshi healing to resume. I healed overnight, thanks to Haruka and Michiru’s help.”

“That’s great!” The princess’ elation dimmed. “Those two must be so confused…”

Pluto leaned back in her chair. She never should have put them in that predicament. The unawakened versions of her comrades were ill-equipped to handle such a situation. She jeopardized her mission and put them in danger because of her carelessness. 

Granted, when they finally awakened, they would understand everything. But they also would not forget the events of this lifetime, either. 

“You know,” the woman still known to a select few as Usagi, chewed on a fingernail. “Maybe the exposure will accelerate their awakening. Has Michiru complained about headaches or strange visions or anything yet?”

“Headaches. Seldomly,” Pluto answered. “Michiru and Haruka have gravitated towards each other as expected, despite how this lifetime’s experiences have made them… different.”

“They’re meant for each other. It’ll happen, no matter what!” Usagi sighed with romantic stars in her eyes. 

The space-time guardian could not help but smile. Princess Serenity had matured into her role over the last two decades, yet managed to retain many of the quirky behaviors she was well-known for. 

“Ever the romantic, Your Majesty.”

Princess Serenity giggled and waved off Pluto’s comment. “Okay I don’t have a lot of time. Before you give your report, I had some things—“ Her visage disappeared from the screen, replaced by shuffling and a loud bump. Her signature bun-head reappeared, shielded by a piece of paper. “Aha! Here’s my list!”

Setsuna suppressed her laughter. Despite their grim situation, Usagi was her usual self. 

“Mars had a premonition about another asteroid approaching Earth. Did you?”

“Yes.” Jaw firm, Setsuna took a deep breath. “Is there an ETA?”

“Not yet. Mercury will update you on size and trajectory when we pinpoint it. We need to be prepared this time.”

“Understood.” 

“So about being prepared…” The Princess hesitated in a way that signified Pluto was not going to like what she was about to hear. “We decided you need backup. The invaders from the last asteroid almost killed you. Mars has volunteered.”

“But Your Majesty,” Setsuna stood to her full height, cutting the top half of her face from the camera, “You cannot spare even one soldier! And the inner senshi exist to protect you. Mars must stay on the Moon with you!”

“I knew you weren’t going to be happy. But we’ve already decided. Mamoru never leaves my side, the other senshi take turns staying with me in the Moon Palace, and Phobos and Deimos are assuming her role as my protectors. Well, that and patrolling Mars’ atmosphere. So I’m fine. I’m still Sailor Moon. I can fight, protect myself, and our galaxy!”

Sailor Pluto’s burgundy eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Venus agreed to this?”

Princess Serenity giggled at the mention of Sailor Venus, the leader of the inner senshi. “Well, yeah! It was her idea, actually.” When Setsuna clicked her tongue disapprovingly, she continued. “Okay, it took some convincing on my behalf. But she agreed. Actually I’m pretty sure those two need a break from each other. They’re fighting constantly. Not that I don’t appreciate Mars picking fights with someone who isn’t me. But--”

Setsuna returned to her seat. The movement reminded Usagi of what she was originally trying to say. “I know what you’re thinking. But these last twenty one years will have been for nothing if the Dromedons catch you off guard.”

Sailor Pluto silently conceded to her princess’ reasoning. The three year delay in Neptune’s rebirth cost them enough time. 

This threat, aptly named “Dromedons” by Mercury since discovering they hailed from the Andromeda galaxy, were still a mysterious force to the guardians. Their language was indecipherable, their powers of reanimation difficult to counter, and their motives… unknown. 

“So. That’s my decision. Mars will arrive after she’s done her current mission. I think she’s gonna go back to her grandfather’s old shrine--”

“She can stay with me,” Setsuna interrupted. 

Perplexed, Usagi blinked and tilted her head. “Huh? But you and Michiru live together.”

“Michiru is moving in with Haruka. Within a few day’s time.”

“Oh ho…” Usagi gave a cartoonish wriggle of her eyebrows. “Is that so? Didn’t they just meet a couple weeks ago? See? I knew it! As soon as they met, they clicked! Just like me and Mamoru.”

Setsuna decided not to mention that Serenity and Endymion’s first few months in this lifetime were, in fact, not at all an immediate attraction like Haruka and Michiru. “It does not guarantee their awakening will be expedited. Falling in love may not be enough. The Dromedons postponed Neptune’s rebirth, who knows what else they could have—“

“Hey!” Usagi interrupted as if she was not listening. “Does Michiru know Haruka’s not really a man yet?”

“If she does not yet, I imagine she will shortly.” 

“How scandalous!” Usagi chortled, enjoying the supposed scandal. “Imagine the look on her face when she sees Haruka’s a woman! I mean, I was shocked when I realized Haruka was Sailor Uranus—“

“You said you were short on time, Your Majesty?” It pained Sailor Pluto to be rude. She gleaned pleasure from seeing Usagi and hearing her voice. But time was, as always, of the essence. 

“Yeah, sorry! That’s all I had to report. Your turn.”

Usagi made about as serious of a face as she could muster while Setsuna relayed the events of the last two days. The missing Dromedon from the asteroid landing that destroyed Haruka’s property made its appearance in Indonesia. By the time Setsuna arrived, Mercury and Jupiter were already engaged in battle. They managed to seal the abhorrent creature, but not before Setsuna suffered a grave injury and vanished. Her recap of events, which the princess had undoubtedly already heard from Mercury and Jupiter, led into Michiru and Haruka working together to heal her. After awakening fully healed the following morning, Setsuna immediately returned to her laboratory to continue her research. 

“... I’ve been studying my sample, but to no avail. I haven’t managed to isolate the compound that allows them to regenerate.”

“Neither has Mercury,” Princess Serenity offered, sensing Pluto’s annoyance. 

“Though now I have an idea...” Setsuna tapped an index finger against her lips in thought. “Whatever gives them this power-- an enzyme, a hormone-- it may only be present in detectable amounts when they are in the act of regenerating. So perhaps, with Mars’ assistance, I can manipulate one into regenerating and perform an extraction then. It will be extremely dangerous, but it may work. I will have to find one first, of course.”

“I’m sure one’ll attack soon...You know you’ve got my permission to do whatever you feel is best,” Usagi started. “I know Mercury would prefer to spend more time off the battlefield, but it’s just not possible. Even with all the reinforcements, we’re worn thin and exhausted.”

“All the more reason Mars should stay with you.”

Princess Serenity’s bright eyes darkened. “Do you ever feel like Crystal Tokyo is never going to happen? I mean… it’s been over twenty years and we still don’t even know what they want or how to defeat them.”

“Please do not lose hope, Your Majesty. We will learn how to stop their regeneration. Uranus and Neptune will awaken and join the battle.”

A shadow crossed the princess’ features in a rare moment of discouragement. “I know. It’s just… we’ve been at war for so long.”

Sailor Pluto said nothing. She already exhausted all of the encouraging words she had for the conflict she still blamed herself for. 

“I hope they awaken soon. Without the light of their planets, I’m not at my strongest.”

Pluto nodded gravely. Nothing Princess Serenity said was new information, but she pondered her meanderings thoughtfully. Sailor Moon and the Legendary Silver Crystal were at their strongest with the unwavering support of all her allies. Their hearts, bound together as one, had allowed her to increase in power and overcome insurmountable odds in the past. Without Uranus and Neptune, Sailor Moon could not reach her full potential, and the battle was fated to remain at a stalemate.

“I haven’t been able to get closer to Haruka,” Setsuna said at length. “He--she-- is one of the richest people on the planet. I’ve hoped that, with Haruka’s boundless resources, she may have discovered something helpful since the asteroid destroyed her property. If she does know anything, I can’t say. Prying would be too risky.”

Usagi shook her head. “Haruka will tell Michiru anything, you know. If you have to go digging for info, I’d get it outta her.” 

“Point well taken,” Setsuna agreed. 

“Any other ideas for helping either of them awaken sooner?” Usagi asked with a high, hopeful pitch. 

“One idea, actually. I will implement as soon as possible.”

Usagi frowned. “Can’t we just… tell them?”

Setsuna shook her head. “It will only serve to confuse them. Their starseeds will instruct their subconscious to awaken when the wisdom of their planets decide. And not a moment before. I imagine the situation needs to be more… dire.”

“Things aren’t dire enough?” Usagi griped. Setsuna did not have an appropriate response, nor did she suspect Usagi expected one. “Can’t you, like, show them your transformation pen? Or the talismans?”

Setsuna’s pointed frown was all the answer she needed. 

“Fine,” Usagi huffed. “At least things are progressing, I guess.”

“So it would seem.”

Sailor Pluto brushed a strand of hair from her face. Speaking with the future queen was always a bittersweet experience. She felt constantly torn between her duty to protect the space-time gate, her desire to protect Princess Serenity, and her current mission. 

“And how are you, Pluto?”

Setsuna blinked. “I said my injury healed fine.”

Usagi made a show of giving an exaggerated eye roll. “I mean, how are _you_ feeling? This must be hard for you. And weird. Raising someone you raised Hotaru with. And pretending you don’t know who they really are. You never talk about your feelings.”

“I am seeing this mission through. There is nothing else to discuss.” 

“I see you still wear it,” she retorted with a glance to Setsuna’s left hand. “That ring’s like, thirty years old. You wouldn’t be wearing it if you didn’t have an emotional attachment to them.”

The promise ring glinted in the bright neon lighting. Setsuna knew better than to try lying to Usagi. As powerful as Sailor Moon and the Legendary Silver Crystal were, her greatest power of all was her boundless empathy. It was almost as if she could feel Setsuna’s grief and loneliness through the satellite connection. 

This ring, a symbol of the outer senshi's promise to always be a family, never left her finger. The time she, Haruka, and Michiru spent raising Hotaru together was a lifetime ago. 

To the daughter of Chronos, it might as well have been yesterday. 

“I miss them,” she found herself whispering to no one in particular. Her ring shimmered in response. 

“They’ll be back soon,” Usagi offered as comfort. “Like you said, it’s only a matter of time.”

Time. 

Setsuna closed her eyes, soaking her consciousness in visions. Possibilities splintered from hundreds of choices. Different futures oftentimes made themselves known to her. The paths to them, however, remained a mystery. 

This obliviousness was a small mercy for the time goddess. Not knowing how to influence future events removed the sense of hopelessness she felt when her duty dictated she must keep her interfering to a minimum. As a small reprieve, she still felt the presence of Crystal Tokyo, a fully-revived Moon Kingdom, as well as restored castles for each guardian planet. 

Other potential futures, however, were silent landscapes of death she would never speak of.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Only a matter of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it was about time to shed some light on what's going on behind the scenes, and the only way I could think of to effectively do that was to write a Sailor Pluto chapter. This chapter borrows a bit more heavily from the manga with Phobos and Deimos, and the Outer Senshi's promise rings. <3


	11. Varius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka and Michiru return to the apartment to pack up Michiru's belongings.

**♆**

_I feel her presence. As sure as my own heart beating inside my chest. Not that there can be any invaders in my dreams. But as with all of these dreams, I suspect—no, I know— this is a memory. A memory of another lifetime, or perhaps an alternate reality._

_I know this castle, with the waterfalls for walls and the coral reefs and the sparkling constellations permanently floating above it, are all a part of me. An extension of myself. I feel the ripples around her footsteps as she makes her way towards the balcony, where I always find myself in these dreams._

_It’s not only my link to this oceanic structure that reveals her presence. Something in me changes when she is near. My pulse accelerates and my grip on the paintbrush falters. Visions of moments with this woman flood my mind. As much as I try resisting, they assault me. Battles and balls and fervent lovemaking; she is with me for it all._

_“Neptune!”_

_Her voice, seeking me out, pulls the trigger on my lucid dreaming. I become a passive observer to my dream-self, who lays down the paintbrush and feigns surprise._

_“Uranus? What are you doing here?”_

_She isn’t wearing her battle uniform, so there’s no trouble. Instead, her trim form is adorned with a figure-hugging navy blue dress and gold sandals more suitable to Uranus’ deserts than my planet’s waters and brine. Her golden hair and earrings glow against the cascading waterfall behind her._

_I never cease to be impressed by her fluidity. Whether wearing men’s formal attire or women’s clothing, she always cuts a striking figure. The furnace in the depths of my belly ignites at the sight of her._

_Of course, I’m not about to tell her that. Not until I have her exactly where I want her._

_“Do I need a reason to come see you?” She approaches my easel and sitting form with an intent I can only interpret as mischievous. I notice, for the first time, a cumbersome object partially concealed behind her back._

_Now I know the reason. I continue to act coy, brushing a stray lock of hair behind an ear and crossing my legs._

_“Well, you normally send an encrypted message via our communicators if you’re dying for a drink,” I allow the innuendo to suspend in the empty space between us before continuing, “So I can only assume you’ve come unannounced because you hope to catch me in the throes of passion with someone else.”_

_Uranus chuckles, not completely surprised with my tone and teasing. “If it is the lips and touch of another you desire, then you need only tell me. I will gladly sever their lips and hands, and present them to you as a token of my eternal dedication.”_

_“Ever the romantic.” I saunter towards my visitor. She stiffens._

_“So romantic, I spent the better part of an Uranian year bribing different guardians to divulge the date of your birth.” Uranus reveals the strangely-shaped object. “I spent more time learning the date you gifted the universe with your presence than I did tracking down one of these. I didn’t realize your birthday was considered classified information.”_

_I don’t so much as offer a humoring smile at her joke. I’m too engrossed with the item in her hands. I recognize it instantly; the polished wooden case, made from a tree that only exists on Earth, with its long neck and curved body, can only contain one thing._

_“Uranus, I…” I’m suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. “How did you find a violin?”_

_“Oh,” she tosses her head to rearrange the blond bangs tickling her eyes and speaks as casually as ever. “Called in a few hundred favors. No big deal. I’m sorry I couldn’t get you a tutor or sheet music or something.”_

_“No, this is… This is perfect.”_

_I’m a seasoned warrior. I never cry. Not when I suffer grievous injuries during battle. Not during the long years I pined for her from afar. Not the first time we danced at Queen Serenity’s masquerade ball. And not even when we made love for the first time shortly after that dance._

_But I’m crying now. I gingerly take the violin case, careful as if I’m cradling a newborn. Since the night of Neo Queen Serenity’s first masquerade ball, I’ve heard the silvery song of these Earth instruments in my dreams._

_“A violin,” someone whispered to me when they noticed how transfixed I was by this particular instrument._

_Unsure of how to react to my uncharacteristic emotional outburst, Uranus watches with an awkward smile as I try collecting myself._

_“My apologies.” I sniff and force a smile to prove these are tears of happiness. “I’ve never received such a thoughtful gift before. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”_

_Uranus clears her throat. She scratches the back of her neck. It’s a nervous tick of hers. “Just because I hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to you doesn’t mean I wasn’t watching you. Actually, that’s all I could do that night, before Venus insisted I ask you to dance. You were transfixed.”_

_Words escape me._

_“And if you insist on paying me back…” Uranus closes the space between us. Violin between our bodies, she leans forward and whispers, “Then play me a song.”_

**♆**

The sensation woke her. A hot gust of wind blew across her ear. 

Half-asleep, Michiru’s hand clamped down on her exposed ear. With a sigh, she rolled onto her back and stared at the white ceiling above her. Disoriented and confused, it took many minutes before her brain came to terms with the fact that she was not in a water castle at all, but a bedroom. 

Haruka’s bedroom. 

Many more minutes passed. Michiru could not will her limbs to move. This morning was different. Her dream was different. Instead of waking drenched in sweat, confused or heartbroken over the mysterious woman in her dreams, she was content. 

Michiru remembered everything. In stunning, vivid detail. The stars sparkling in the sky, crystal clear waterfalls, the painting, and most importantly, the woman haunting her dreams. 

“Uranus…” Michiru quietly reflected on her name. If that was even a name. More like a title, or a station. It was also the name Setsuna said, right to Haruka’s face, when she was on the verge of passing out from that mysterious wound. 

It all made perfect sense in her dreams. 

The Warrior of the Skies, was, without a shadow of a doubt, an exact duplicate of Haruka Tenoh. And Setsuna already knew.

Haruka. Michiru rolled onto her stomach to inhale her lover’s scent from the pillows. Last night featured a host of new experiences, but for Michiru the most impressionable of all was what transpired after they were done in the Skyloft. 

Typically, after Michiru got what she wanted--or more often than not, _didn’t_ get what she wanted--she dismissed her fling immediately, ghosting them until they got the message there would be no second time. She had no interest in pillow talk, cuddling, dating, or any of that pointless nonsense. 

With Haruka, everything was different. Michiru wanted more and more, to the point where she needed Haruka’s warmth surrounding her. Never, _ever_ , had she let someone spoon her until she fell asleep in their bed. Her learned instinct to be disgusted and angry at herself for displaying such vulnerability was missing, replaced with a serene, relaxed sensation Michiru had never felt before. 

Michiru reflected on Haruka’s confession the previous night. When Haruka’s dreams became more intense, she backed away from submissives and lovers. And now, though they were together, Haruka was denying herself the pleasure of orgasm until she felt with undeniable certainty she was with the woman plaguing her dreams. 

“I did the complete opposite…” Michiru murmured to herself. She chased after every willing sex partner she could find in a futile attempt to quell even a fraction of the sexual frustration these dreams awakened in her. Michiru was not entirely self-loathing about her poor choice in bed partners, but she was not proud, either. Gathering experience was not necessarily a bad thing. She only wished more of her dalliances had resulted in the desired effect. 

Haruka had more than exceeded her expectations. 

Michiru had achieved orgasm in the past. Usually alone, seldomly with a partner, but never like that. The head rush, the ecstasy, the intense explosion… she never suspected her body was capable of that. It hadn’t taken much, really. A few strokes of Haruka’s tongue or a few strokes of her fingers, and Michiru melted into a puddle. 

Groans of desire filled the pillow beneath her as she recalled the feeling. 

“What time is it?” She dared a peek at the golden alarm clock resting on the bed stand. As expected, it wasn’t exactly early morning. If she hurried, she could make her 12:30 class and have time to work on a painting for a project she had yet to begin. 

With perfect clarity, she remembered the painting she had been working on in her dream. The image gave her not one, but two inspirations. 

The thought propelled her from the comforts of Haruka’s bed. She found her clothes and other personal effects waiting on a chair beside where they slept. Hanging from the back of the chair was a fluffy white bathrobe. Taking the hint, Michiru donned the robe, tied it off around her waist, and made for the conjoined bathroom. 

A lilting, haunting medley coming from another room gave her pause. Remembering the grand piano she saw the first time she visited, Michiru left Haruka’s bedroom and followed the piano chords through the house. 

Given the hour, Michiru had assumed Haruka was already gone to the office. She was pleasantly surprised to learn she was wrong. 

She—no, he— sat at the piano bench, eyes closed as he stroked the keys. Breasts bound and loose tie around his neck, Haruka had returned to the masculine form he presented to the world. Haruka’s transition between the genders appeared effortless.

Michiru watched the muscles and tendons of his hands working in tandem to create a sad, melancholic melody. 

The beautiful and dangerous things those hands could do. From sensually massaging her skin to binding and spanking her. The previous night’s events were but a preview, and Michiru did not know if she could wait until tonight to learn more. 

She slid onto the piano bench beside Haruka. His fingers abruptly stopped. “Good morning.”

He turned and looked at her, bashful and adorable. He seemed tense, afraid she might be suffering from morning after syndrome or having second thoughts. 

“Good morning.” Michiru laid her head on his shoulder. Her hand caressed the nylon-polyester blend adorning his legs. “I guess I should have set an alarm.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know what time you wanted to get up. And you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you.”

Michiru closed her eyes and hummed. “I don’t remember the last time I slept that well…” After a moment of savoring Haruka’s warmth and the electric energy they shared, she resigned herself to beginning the day. “I have a class at 12:30 I should get ready for.”

“I can drop you off on my way to the office.”

“Ok.” Michiru sat with Haruka in comfortable silence. She was not normally one to procrastinate, but she didn’t care today. She considered revealing her dream to Haruka, then decided against it. It would feel too coincidental after their conversation last night, and she wasn’t sure Haruka would believe her. Besides, labeling a person in real life as the woman in her dreams didn’t give her the same hangups it was giving Haruka. 

So Michiru told herself, anyway. 

“Hey.” Michiru lifted her head and looked at Haruka. His eyes were more blue than grey this morning, and his handsome face was shrouded with distress. Michiru wondered if he had a bad dream, or was regretting last night. “You never answered my question.”

Haruka tilted his head. She wanted nothing more than to kiss his unbearably cute, confused frown. “What question?”

A wandering hand slid up the compression top, not stopping until its fingers began tickling the short hairs at the base of his neck. “What am I to you? A submissive? A girlfriend? A temporary distraction?”

Michiru didn’t need a verbal answer. The shade of rouge creeping up above the tie and into his cheeks told her everything. 

“Umm…” His slight adam’s apple bobbed. “I don’t know yet… But, I hope you’ll stay with me long enough to find out.”

Satisfied with his answer, she grabbed his loose tie and used it as leverage to pull their mouths together. The taste of a spring breeze filled her; spreading from her tongue down to her toes. A jolt of energy ran through her. The now-familiar, but not any less potent, force uniting them intensified when Haruka’s hands slipped inside of her bathrobe. 

Much to Michiru’s dismay, Haruka pulled his face away and kissed her forehead. “You’d better get ready before you miss another class.”

♆

A proud smile donned her face as she texted the Vice President of the Fine Arts Club, Elizabeth. Michiru wrote out her idea for the fundraiser they were planning to have in two weeks’ time. There would be a lot of preparation and work to commit to, but with everyone pitching in, Michiru did not doubt they could make it a unique success. 

_Sounds awesome! Let’s meet after class tomorrow to work out the details._

“Michiru!” 

She snapped out of her reverie. Michiru dropped her cell phone on her desk and turned to face the director, who was standing in the doorway to his office. 

“Come into my office.” 

A quick glance to her phone revealed she had five minutes left until her shift ended. Michiru adjusted her teal scarf and straightened the front of her blazer as she stood. Tomoe had turned to retreat into his office, but the sharp glare she caught was unsettling. 

Keeping her confusion and worry buried beneath the professional veneer she exuded while working, Michiru followed him until she stood just inside the door frame. 

He was staring at his computer screen. The glare of the monitor against his glasses in the dim lighting embellished a sinister visage she must have been imagining.

“Close the door,” he ordered without looking at her. 

A rush of adrenaline kicked her heart. She turned her head, looking out the sole window overlooking the office, not finding a single soul in the vicinity. Every mental red flag went off. The hairs on her arm stood at end. 

Not knowing why, she shut the door behind her. Michiru sat in the leather chair across from his desk and cleared her throat. 

Silence. His attention remained transfixed on his computer screen. A frigid chill shook her spine. “Director, if there’s been something wrong with my productivity lately, I--”

“You lied to me, Michiru.” His narrow eyes pierced through her with unmitigated loathing. 

Michiru swallowed her bewilderment and responded in the most level tone she could muster. “Director? I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“You know…” He dropped his fists to his desk with more force than necessary. Michiru controlled her reaction as best she could, but her shoulders shuddered. “Sleeping your way to the top generally implies you start at the bottom.” 

The lecherous, uncharacteristic glint in his eyes caught Michiru off-guard. How could the director of the art exhibit possibly know about her fledgling relationship with the CEO? Haruka kept all of his relationships under the radar with utmost secrecy. She hadn’t so much as uttered Haruka’s name at school or in the presence of her classmates. Setsuna was the only person who knew, but who would she tell?

Kawakami stood to his full height. The confidence he gained in her befuddlement made her nauseous. He crossed his arms over his chest while strolling around his desk. His tall form leered over her with a smirk. 

The gesture of dominance did not go lost on Michiru. She bristled with annoyance but remained frozen, even as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. 

“I saw you two in his car last night.” 

Michiru’s blood turned cold. All the heat in her body rushed to her face. 

She had to say something. Anything. But a vision of him staring and smiling as Haruka’s hand trailed up her skirt during their session in the car paralyzed her. 

Emboldened by her fear, Tomoe’s frigid fingers wrapped around her chin. 

Michiru tried to move. Her mind was screaming, but her bones had turned to lead. Her forehead began to throb. Tomoe’s vice grip on her chin was bold and calculating. 

His eyes. There was something about his eyes. Evil. Familiar. Demonic. 

Still, Michiru could not move. 

“The way you looked in that car, well… Let’s just say the image was all I needed when I went home and--”

“Enough!” A warrior slumbering within her awakened. Michiru snapped to attention. She leapt out of the chair, ready to fight her way out of his office.

Then something peculiar happened. 

The director turned away from her. Form bent over his desk, he cradled his forehead with one hand and began to tremble. 

“Nggh…. No!” His entire body shook. Michiru watched on with horrified fascination, unsure of what she should do. 

“Director?” She took a tentative step toward him. 

“Get… out!” He yelled through clenched teeth. “Get out!” 

Anxious to put this entire episode behind her, Michiru did not wait to see what would happen next. She fled the room, pausing at her desk long enough to grab her cell phone, jacket and purse, and ran through the building. 

Michiru did not stop until she was standing outside in the cool March breeze. Haruka’s million-dollar sports car was idled in front of the exhibit. Taking a moment to collect herself, she slipped her arms into her leather jacket. 

She looked into the glass doors of the building. Tomoe did not appear to be following her. Michiru took a deep, cleansing breath. 

If he was not pursuing her, what could be the cause of the growing unease and fear in her stomach? She tried dismissing the sensation, but then a shuffle to her right caught her attention. Michiru turned toward the sound, only to find a slouched form wearing a worn yellow coat, walking away. A hood was pulled over the person’s head, concealing it’s entire head.

When the unimposing figure disappeared around a corner, she let herself into Haruka’s car. At the sound of the passenger door opening, Haruka looked up from his cellphone and smiled. His excitement at her presence normally stirred a whole host of arousing feelings in her. 

Tonight, she could only force a disingenuous smile. 

“What’s wrong?” 

He already sensed her mood. Why wouldn’t he? They were disturbingly in sync, for how short a time they’ve known each other. Of course Haruka could see she was seething and shaking. There was no point in lying. Michiru did not want to lie, but she didn’t want to tell him the truth, either. 

“Just a man who thinks he’s entitled to details of my personal life. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

“What? Who’s bothering you?”

Michiru hated the concern etched on his face. Worry and pity. She’d endured those glances for years after her parents died. Setsuna tried hiding it, but Michiru saw the sorrow reflected in her burgundy eyes every day to the point where she had grown to loathe even the slightest hint of it. 

“I’m fine!” Michiru snapped, louder than she intended. “Let’s just go to my place and get my things.” 

Haruka was not convinced, but he mercifully dropped the subject. They drove to Michiru and Setsuna’s apartment in silence. Michiru checked her phone, hoping for a message from Setsuna, but there was none. She had been more distant than usual since her birthday, and Michiru suspected it was because Setsuna was avoiding them and the awkward questions they were guaranteed to ask. 

Feeling guilty for snapping at Haruka, but unsure of what she should say without seeming disingenuous, she swallowed her pride. “I’m sorry. I just hate people treating me like I’m helpless.”

“Wanting to help you and thinking you’re helpless are not the same thing,” Haruka said without taking his eyes off of the road. 

“I know.” 

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” 

Michiru leaned against the cushion and closed her eyes. “Yes. Just not today.” 

“Did you hear from Setsuna?” 

She appreciated the change in subject, but found this subject equally dismal. “No. She’s disappeared for weeks at a time because of work before, but… I will admit the timing is suspicious.” 

“I know I’ve seen her before. She--” Haruka’s sudden pause made Michiru open an eye to look at him. His profile, soft jawline and slightly furrowed brow, helped ease some of the tension. “I know I’ve seen her. Before I saw her on television.”

“She is a well-respected astrophysicist and scientist. I’m sure you’ve seen her picture on scientific journals or NASA’s website or something.”

“Maybe,” Haruka responded noncommittally. He extended his hand in her direction, and Michiru did not hesitate to accept. The knots in her stomach unwound, and she was able to breathe again. Haruka’s touch was more therapeutic than she realized. 

Upon arriving at the apartment, Michiru let them in and flicked the lights on. She did a quick scan while removing her boots, finding a foreign object sitting beside Setsuna’s laptop on the coffee table. 

“What’s that?” Michiru breathed while walking across the apartment. Haruka shoved his hands down his front pockets and followed at a respectable distance. 

Laid flat across the table was a closed violin case, with a small note taped to it. Michiru tore the small paper from the varnished wood and read the brief passage.

_“I found Varius while cleaning out my closet. You should decide what to do with it.”_

There was no signature, but one was not needed. Michiru recognized Setsuna’s handwriting as well as her own. The note was succinct, but the trick to understanding Setsuna was always reading between the lines. 

“‘You should decide your own destiny,’ is what she means,” Michiru whispered while passing the note to Haruka. “Or maybe, ‘You shouldn’t let a tragic event six years continue ruling your life.’”

“Like that feeling of helplessness you were just complaining about?” Haruka came up beside Michiru and gave a sideways grin.

“Yeah, like that.” Michiru returned the grin, albeit with nervous apprehension. Her fingers shook against the clasps. The last time she touched the treasured violin of her youth she had thrown it in a fit of anger. It was broken, that much she knew. 

Six years later, and she was still afraid to gaze upon the damaged remains of her past. 

“Okay.” Michiru exhaled and forced herself to open the case. 

“A Stradivarius,” Haruka observed. “A very damaged Stradivarius.” 

“Oh Varius…” Michiru choked. She scooped the instrument out of the velvet cushioning, struggling to keep it intact. The damage was worse than she thought. “What have I done to you?”

Setsuna had returned Varius to its home best she could, but the instrument was severely damaged. Two of the strings were snapped, and the neck was severed into two jagged ends. 

Even if Varius could be played, Michiru’s time with it was long over. Varius was a child’s instrument, fit for the short arms of her youth. A relic from her past. She was a grown woman now. It was time to begin reevaluating her decisions through the lens of adulthood.

“Varius. Cute name,” Haruka commented. 

“Ten year old me wasn’t very creative,” Michiru laughed through her sobs. Haruka’s hand rest on her shoulder as she clutched the broken violin to her and reminisced. “I was supposed to go on stage. I was only waiting for my parents to arrive. And then… and then Setsuna told me my parents died in a car accident on the way to the theater.”

“And you broke your violin?” Haruka guessed. 

“I threw Varius and never touched a violin again.” Michiru wasn’t entirely sure why she was telling Haruka all of this. 

Discussing damaging events from her past felt less vulnerable than Haruka’s borderline unhealthy obsession with a dream woman, she reasoned. Michiru hated to admit it, but releasing the burden she had been carrying in her chest for six years felt cathartic. 

“That was the end of my career as the prodigy violinist. Setsuna became my legal guardian, we moved to the United States, and the rest is history.” Michiru gingerly laid Varius back into its casket. “I haven’t told anyone about this. Not personally, I mean. Setsuna and I talked about it, obviously, but it’s different with her. She was part of it.”

“I do.” Haruka positioned himself to stand before her. “But in a way, I was part of it too.”

“I--what?” Michiru swallowed, unsure what to make of his vague statement.

“I was in the audience,” Haruka began. He knew he was walking on thin ice. His voice was a husky whisper and he kept glancing to the floor. “I used to listen to classical music. A lot. And I guess, as a child prodigy myself, I was very interested in hearing you play. So I bought tickets for your concert in Tokyo. I was seated in the--”

“Second row,” Michiru finished for him.

Now it was Haruka’s turn to be surprised. “What? How did you know that?” 

Michiru stared at the remains of her only childhood companion. The grief and misery she experienced that night, unparalleled to this day, centered on this inanimate object. 

Then she looked at Haruka. How could she not have made the connection before? His tumultuous blue eyes, the identical hair, the serious frown on his rosy lips. She forgot nothing of that night and dreamed of it often, not suspecting Haruka was the young teenage “boy” she was drawn to. 

This surreal connection between them meant something, and she suspected it was bigger than either of them could fathom. 

Michiru had been attracted to Haruka for longer than she realized. Coupled with the dream she had last night, Michiru was unable to deny there was some kind of greater power drawing them to each other. 

Michiru reached her hand up to caress Haruka’s cheek. The same lonely child she saw that night was staring back at her, and she wasn’t afraid to look him in the eyes this time.

“Haruka, I—“

The apartment door swung open unexpectedly. Michiru retracted her hand before their company entered. 

Setsuna entered the apartment. Her eyes widened when she noticed Michiru and Haruka standing in the living room. 

“Michiru.” Setsuna unbuttoned her long trench coat. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

The new couple stood in stunned silence when a young woman followed Setsuna inside. She was average height, with serious and aloof violet eyes that widened considerably when they locked with Michiru’s. An intense fire burned behind the stranger’s eyes. 

Michiru clenched her throat against latent embers coming alive inside her. Fire and crows danced about this woman's head. 

Setsuna cleared her throat and gestured toward her companion. “This is my colleague from work... Rei Hino.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be a cute idea if, during the SilMil era, Uranus gifts Neptune with a violin, thus sowing the seed for her immaculate skills with a violin.


	12. Devil's Trill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru opens up to Haruka about her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to create my own tag for this chapter: gagging with a tie. You have been warned.

**♅**

Rei Hino. 

Her violet eyes regarded Haruka and Michiru with unparalleled intensity. She had a serious mystique about her that gave Haruka the impression she knew everything she needed to know about him. Rei’s unusual beauty was captivating, but the power keeping Haruka entranced in her stare was something entirely different. 

Rei gave a curt, Japanese-style bow. She extended her hand to Haruka first. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Tenoh.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Haruka accepted her hand. Shaking her hand was akin to playing with fire. Rei’s flesh was unusually, unbearably hot. Blistering heat bubbled on his forehead until he retrieved his hand. 

Haruka would have sworn his hand was on fire. Looking down at his palm revealed nothing. Slightly embarrassed, he buried his hands in his pockets. 

“I never thought I would meet Japan’s most successful businessman,” Rei commented. Her perfectly straight eyebrows inclined as if she were telling a joke. 

Befuddled and scorched, Haruka said nothing. Rei bowed and began introductions with Michiru. Haruka watched as they exchanged pleasantries and shook hands. If Michiru felt Rei’s unusual heat, she gave no indication. Her visage remained professional and collected. Haruka recognized the practiced poise with which she conducted herself; it was an exact mirror of their first meeting. 

“You are also Japanese?” Michiru inquired. 

Rei nodded. “That’s right. I grew up as a shrine maiden. But I knew from an early age I wanted to be part of the space program.”

A shrine maiden? Haruka suppressed a chuckle. That explained a lot about her demeanor. 

“Rei will be staying here temporarily until the company secures a lease for her. She will be sleeping on the couch. I hope you don’t mind,” Setsuna implored. 

Michiru shook her head. “The couch? No, she can have my room. We’re here to gather most of my belongings. I’ll change the bedding before we go.”

Rei looked ready to decline the generous offer, but Setsuna interrupted. “Very kind of you, Michiru. We won’t keep you two.”

Haruka half-expected Setsuna to try changing Michiru’s mind about the sudden decision to move. Or for Setsuna to make some remark about the rushed and inappropriate nature of the entire arrangement. Instead, the older woman seemed to be kicking Michiru out of her own bedroom. 

It was bizarre behavior for the guardian of an eighteen year old college student, he thought. Haruka couldn’t help but wonder if she was going along with everything as a silent agreement for them to keep quiet about what happened on Michiru’s birthday. Or, Haruka also considered, Setsuna wanted her out of the picture to have privacy with her colleague to discuss confidential matters. 

Keeping Michiru away was for her own safety, Haruka reasoned, so he cautiously accepted Setsuna’s congeniality.

“We’ll be in my room packing, then,” Michiru bowed somewhat stiffly. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Hino.”

Michiru turned her back to the three of them. Varius’ case snapping closed pierced the heavy silence. Haruka followed Michiru to her bedroom, feeling the former shrine maiden’s penetrating gaze on them the entire time. 

Rei’s mystical aura abetted when Michiru shut them inside of her bedroom. As she placed Varius on the bed and busied herself with the contents of her suitcase, Haruka absorbed every facet of Michiru’s private space. There were photographs of a vibrant, happy child and her parents before the tragedy. Another snapshot of young Michiru wearing a swimsuit and a gold medal, standing beside Setsuna, gave Haruka pause. 

The astrophysicist had not aged a day. Her eyes were buried in the same smooth face. Setsuna appeared just as young today as she did in this picture, taken about a decade ago. She was frozen in time. 

“I wonder if Rei’s appearance has anything to do with that ‘accident,’” Haruka wryly commented as he paused to looked at the wall calendar. It was a calendar of constellations. Pisces was featured for March. 

Haruka turned to look at Michiru. She was leaning over the bed and her suitcase. The constellation necklace dangled from her neck, catching the light. 

“It worries me. I had no idea her work was so dangerous. And she’s so secretive about it. I think it’s probably a good thing she has someone to help. And keep her in check.” Michiru looked up, catching Haruka staring at her. “What?”

Out of the hundreds of thoughts running through his mind, from how adorable her concerned forehead creases were, to how grateful he was she didn’t leave after the discovery in the Skyloft, Haruka instead blurted, “I swear I haven’t been stalking you for six years.”

Michiru stood and crossed her arms over her chest. “Honestly, Haruka… For being a playboy billionaire, you get easily flustered around a pretty face.”

The tease, and her body inviting itself to firmly press against his, made Haruka’s face hotter than Rei’s handshake. “I, well, that’s because you’re more than just a pretty face.”

Haruka gave laser focus to the constellation pendant against the hollow of her neck. Michiru was right. His behavior around her was perplexing. All she had to do was display her smoldering look or speak in that coy, come hither tone, and he devolved into a blathering idiot. 

“Hmmm…” she pensively purred while combing his sandy hair. Brine and mist washed every stray thought from his mind. Stocks and meetings and asteroids vanished until all Haruka felt was her. “This morning you couldn’t tell me what I am.”

Haruka took a deep breath. Instead of calming his nerves, it electrified them. “Finish packing your suitcase.”

His command was weak. Michiru could smell Haruka’s desire, and she fed it with an insatiable hunger of her own. Michiru pulled Haruka’s face down to hers with surprising strength. Her tongue penetrated the weak barrier of Haruka’s closed lips, wasting no time exploring every crevice and curve. 

Haruka sank into her need. It was impossible not to, with Michiru’s fingernails scraping his scalp and her wet tongue slipping inside his mouth. 

With considerable effort, Haruka cupped Michiru’s hips and pulled away. “You have company.”

Michiru’s eyes lazily turned to the closed bedroom door, to the open suitcase covering half of her bed, then back up to Haruka’s face. “Then you’d better keep me quiet.”

Michiru accented her gritty demand by biting her bottom lip. Haruka lost the small shred of prudence he was clinging to. Their mouths collided in a windstorm. Michiru’s hands were everywhere, frantic, trying to cover every inch of Haruka’s body at once. 

Michiru’s urgency, as if she would absolutely die if Haruka didn’t give her what she wanted, turned off every inhibition he still held. 

Fingertips embedded in her firm butt, he forced her into a sitting position. One motion, and his tie was off his neck and in his hands. Michiru opened her mouth to speak, but Haruka contained her with his arms.

“Don’t make a sound.” This time, his order was confident. Guttural. 

Without warning, Haruka forced his tie between her rosy lips. 

A surprised whimper gurgled in her throat as she realized what Haruka was doing. Michiru’s cerulean eyes widened in shocked excitement. Haruka smiled when he heard Michiru’s low, approving hum. 

Unbridled, and not the least bit gentle, Haruka sank his teeth into the crook of Michiru’s neck. He allowed her hands to further tousle his hair; after all, she needed some sort of relief. If Michiru wanted it this badly-- throwing herself at Haruka with no care for the women in the next room-- then he was going to leave deep purple marks on the most sensitive spots of his lover for them to see. 

Haruka sucked hard and fast. The left side of her neck, then the right. He was too aware of her hips pressing up into him, seeking a modicum of deliverance. He let her try while pinching a nipple with his teeth through the fabric of her shirt. It only frustrated her more, judging by the way her fingernails dug deeper into his shoulder. 

Michiru was desperate, but managed to remain silent. 

Haruka stole a glance at her face. Lipstick stains framed his grey tie. Michiru’s eyes were set in stony determination. She realized she unintentionally signed up for a torturous game, but her pride wouldn’t let her back down now. Blue flames simmered behind her pupils. 

Giving no warning, Haruka grabbed Michiru’s legs and pulled. For her credit, she says nothing, but her arms momentarily flailed and she gripped the suitcase beside her. Haruka settled Michiru right where he wanted her, legs and butt uncomfortably dangling over the side of the bed. Deft hands unfastened her belt buckle and lowered the zipper of her pants. He almost took a foot to the face as he freed her confined legs. 

The blunder made him smirk. For all her collected and coy decorum, she was absolutely wild for his attention. 

Fast and accurate, he stripped her pants and boots, prostrating himself before his new goddess’ altar. Her thighs clamped on either side of his head without delay. 

The smooth, inviting skin of her inner thighs was too delectable to ignore. Haruka trailed his tongue up the inside of Michiru’s left leg, feeling it tense in response. He clamped his teeth down again, dangerously close to the seam of her lace panties. Her spine arched in response to the sudden bite. 

Haruka knew Michiru was in a hurry, but he was just getting started. His teeth roamed her inner thighs, dotting small love bites across her alabaster skin. Her thighs squeezed his ears, making him lightheaded. Her aroma, a heady cocktail of sea salt and lust, became too much for Haruka to avoid any longer. 

To Michiru’s credit, she remained silent as ordered. She thrashed and bucked her hips, but managed to swallow any noise. Haruka did not hold back while leaving small bruises along the insides of her legs. 

But now the warm-up was over. 

Trapped between Michiru’s thighs, Haruka took the only option presented to him. His teeth grazed across the small expanse of skin between her navel and the seam of her underwear. The garment was in his path, and he wanted it gone. 

Haruka could not help the self-satisfied chuckle when Michiru’s body jerked in surprise. His teeth tore the fabric away. A loud rip echoed through the quiet bedroom. Haruka swore he could feel Michiru‘s glare, but he was more concerned with the prize before him. 

His tongue worked circles around her clit, starting slow until he felt confident with increasing the pace to match her frantic desire. He slipped to taste the juices coating her entrance, losing a groan when her heels dug harder into his spine. 

Michiru struggled to set a rhythm despite the awkward position she found herself in. Haruka grabbed her hips and moved them to the tune of his choosing. Michiru should have known by now he was not giving her an inch. 

Swollen heat, cum, and lack of oxygen sent Haruka spiraling into a hypnotic trance. Being with Michiru like this was euphoric. There was no stress, no headache, no confusing visions; only Michiru’s essence, surrounding and filling him. 

Michiru was so eager, so easy, Haruka found himself riding the currents of her release within minutes. This was only the second time they had been together like this, but Haruka innately knew every intimate detail. Michiru’s likes, her tells, the way she clenched her thighs before flooding Haruka with her liquid release. 

Haruka kept his face buried in her quivering sex as long as he could manage. He rode wave after wave, drifting miles from the shores of reason with nothing but Michiru’s fingers guiding his sails. Beach shores and ocean skylines and choppy waves created by unbridled winds; all flooded him as he struggled to stay afloat. 

He lost himself inside of her, too, until the spasms stopped and he realized she’d had enough. Michiru’s strong swimmer’s legs relaxed around his neck, and her hands slipped back to the bed. Haruka didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay here, on his knees sucking her off, until the end of time. 

But Michiru was spent and they had work to do. 

After carefully unwrapping her ankles and settling her feet on the floor, Haruka got off his knees. The immaculate, perfect goddess lay on the bed, basking in the afterglow only he could provide. Naked from the waist down, soaked and exhausted, Haruka decided she was the most beautiful creature in the universe. 

The host of hickeys he’d left on her thighs already vanished. Michiru’s heavy eyelids blinked open and stared at the ceiling. The expert knot hadn’t failed; the gag remained firmly tied between her teeth and around the back of her head. 

Haruka saw her throat working, and decided it was time to have mercy on her. She was most likely parched by now. He leaned forward, hitched his index finger around the tie, and pulled Michiru into a sitting position. 

Michiru gave a muffled squeal when she found herself upright again. 

“Are you going to behave now?” Haruka growled into her ear. 

Michiru’s eyes narrowed defiantly, but she nodded. Satisfied, Haruka untied her gag. With a fleeting grin he glanced at the lipstick stains. Unable to put it back on without raising suspicion, he shoved the tie into his pants pocket. 

Their eyes locked. Michiru was still dazed and coming down, so Haruka took the opportunity to gather her clothing. He explored her dresser drawers until settling on an ivory thong. With new underwear procured, Haruka helped her put it on, then worked the skin tight jeans back up her legs. Michiru languidly obliged, seeming to have no intention of buttoning her pants anytime soon. 

Michiru looked ready for a nap. Against his better judgment, Haruka cleared the suitcase and Varius from the bed and helped Michiru get comfortable. As far as bondage went, this scene was incredible mild, but Haruka still had to ensure she was content and safe. 

Haruka leaned down and kissed her lipstick-smudged lips. “Do you need some water?”

“Mm.” A rasping sigh. 

“I’ll be right back.” Haruka brushed teal tendrils away from her forehead before planting a soft kiss between her eyebrows. Flushed as her skin appeared, it was cooler than spring water against his lips. 

Haruka straightened his collar, checked his hair in the mirror, and walked out of Michiru’s bedroom with the stuffy business posture he’d assumed for his entire adult life. 

Setsuna and Rei were standing in the kitchen, sharing a hushed conversation over coffee. The second Haruka shut the bedroom door, their conversation stopped and he felt both pairs of eyes on him. Setsuna’s were frustratingly calm and nonjudgmental. Rei’s lavender orbs, however, glinted with muted humor. 

Trying as best he could to ignore their stares, Haruka brushed behind Setsuna to open the fridge. Eerie silence persisted as he grabbed two bottles of water.

“How is the packing going?” Setsuna asked. 

“Um. Fine.” Haruka swallowed. 

Setsuna’s burgundy eyes trailed down, looking at his waist. Haruka followed her gaze, realizing the tail of his lipstick-stained tie was poking out of his pocket. He fumbled to shove it back down, but the damage had already been done. 

“Need any assistance?” Setsuna asked with an amused glint to her garnet orbs. 

“No. No thank you,” Haruka muttered while Rei rolled her eyes into her coffee cup. Not willing to suffer more embarrassment, he slithered back into the confines of Michiru’s room. 

Shaking his head, he shut the door behind himself. To Haruka’s surprise, Michiru had fully recovered, and stood at the nightstand beside her bed. She accepted the drink. While she unscrewed the top and hydrated her parched throat, Haruka glanced down at the items on the nightstand. 

An old CD player. Michiru’s birthday gift from Setsuna, the case open and empty. The disc, Haruka assumed, was loaded in the stereo. It was on, reading twelve tracks. Haruka could hear the disc spinning beneath the lid. Sensing Michiru’s hesitation, he took the plunge for her and pressed play. 

The song had barely progressed by a few bars, but Haruka already recognized it. He was no classical music expert by any means, but he did recognize classics and notoriously difficult violin solos. This song happened to fall under both categories. 

“Devil’s Trill Sonata,” Haruka reverently observed, feeling guilty for interrupting the composure with his voice. “You were going to record this when you were twelve?”

Michiru ignored the incredulous question. “That’s my father playing.”

Minutes passed before Haruka could speak. The infamously long and technical song swept him away. Michiru’s father, who Haruka only knew as being first violin in the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra, had definitely earned his seat. 

“He plays with both skill and soul,” Haruka praised. 

“We spent so many hours together. Practicing this song.” 

The melancholic distance in Michiru’s voice stirred Haruka’s heart. He knew he should say or do something. The emotional toll of this album, the unexpected revival of her childhood violin, and whatever was bothering her in the car, were all wearing her down. 

Haruka wrapped Michiru in his arms and rest his chin on her crown. The gesture was inadequate for the complexity of her emotions, he knew, but she wrapped her arms around Haruka’s hidden hips and nestled into the embrace. 

They stood in silence for the remainder of the fifteen minute song. Under normal circumstances, Haruka would have been amazed by the late Kaiou’s performance. Tonight, Michiru’s solemn distance took precedence. 

Spring of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons began playing. Haruka expected a comment explaining which of her parents were playing, but instead Michiru murmured, “Sometimes I feel like this isn’t real. My dreams feel more grounded in reality than… this. Before you, Setsuna was the only person, the only presence, that felt right. I sound crazy, don’t I?”

Haruka stroked her hair and chuckled. “You’re going to ask me that? Knowing I’m a woman who masquerades as a man, and believes the woman in my dreams is a real person worth holding out for?” 

Michiru released a half-hearted laugh at the irony as well. 

“So no. You don’t sound crazy,” Haruka continued. “You were fortunate, in a way. To have Setsuna.”

Haruka still had his reservations about the woman with haunting red eyes and covert, dangerous employment secrets. But, she had raised Michiru into an intelligent, talented, driven young woman. From the moment Haruka saw Setsuna on the television, feeling shocked and sick, he knew she was as much an enigmatic spectre as the woman in his dreams. 

“Yes.” Michiru pulled away enough to look into Haruka’s eyes. Two azure orbs, solemn and vulnerable, silently pleaded for guidance. It was a stark contrast from the Michiru she presented in the car, who refused to share what was bothering her. 

“What's the matter?” Haruka asked after enduring her stare for an uncomfortable minute. 

“I don’t know what to do.”

Michiru’s vague statement earned an equally vague answer. “Well, what do you want to do? What do you think will make you happy?”

Michiru pressed the palm of her hand against the Pisces constellation at the hollow of her neck. In that moment, more than anything, Haruka wished he could read her mind. 

“I think… I just want to be with you. I need to know.”

“What were you going to say earlier? Before Setsuna and Ms. Hino arrived?”

“Oh,” Michiru paused, “I was going to say I think there is something more than just coincidence bringing us together.”

“Me too.” Haruka’s heart leapt in his chest. He bent down to kiss her full on the lips. Their lips massaged each other’s with more patience than earlier. The electricity enhanced every sensation. From the texture of her tongue to the heat of her breath, everything about the kiss was especially potent. 

“I taste good on you,” Michiru slurred. 

Haruka shook his head. Michiru was back to being flirtatious again. The only hint of her recent turmoil was the lingering moisture coating her eyes. 

“You said you were going to behave,” Haruka reminded her. 

“I am. I’m ready to pack now.” Michiru turned back to her abandoned suitcase on the bed. 

Haruka picked up Varius. “And what about Varius? Does he get to come?”

“I never said Varius was a ‘he,’” Michiru countered playfully. Her eyes darted about the room, from the violin case to the suitcase to CD player now playing the fourth season. “Yes. I think I’ll bring it.”

“Do you want to get it fixed?”

“Yes. But,” Michiru stepped to the stereo and turned it off. She opened the disc tray and returned the CD to its case. “Even if Varius could be repaired and played again, I would have to find a new home for it. And a new violin for me.”

Haruka tilted his head. “Are you… saying you want to start playing again?”

“I had a dream, and…” Michiru looked up at the ceiling. “I think between the dream and Setsuna giving me Varius, it’s becoming clear what direction the stars are pointing me towards.”

“I hope that direction includes me,” Haruka said sheepishly. Feeling a bit embarrassed by that pathetic line, he scratched the back of his head. 

“It does, you adorable dork.” Michiru kissed his lips. “Now help me pack.”


	13. Look At Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious attack at school leaves Michiru unsettled and confused.

**♆**

Michiru practically ran to the studio after daydreaming away her modern history class. She couldn’t risk forgetting. The painting in her dream, when Uranus brought her a violin, had to be immortalized on canvas today. Not that she had lost even a small detail of the image, but she didn’t trust this stroke of luck that she actually, finally, remembered everything after waking from the dream yesterday. 

The studio was empty. Michiru turned on the lights and checked the closet for the piece she tucked away weeks ago. Pushed into the shadows in the back of a supply closet, the painting of two hovering eyes waited. 

Michiru grabbed the canvas and studied her work. The floating eyes were exact duplicates of Haruka’s; smoky blue orbs of intense storms and suppressed emotion. She prepared an easel and palette, then stood by the window overlooking the courtyard. 

The trance commenced. 

She delved into her creation. The outside world ceased to exist to the artist, who retreated back into her dream to recreate the painting, and the woman, from it. When painting, Michiru often paused to critically examine her progress. Being the perfectionist she was, Michiru rarely let a few minutes pass without pausing to decide where more shadows, shading, or colors should go. 

Today she let instinct guide her strokes. 

Hours passed. Shades of gold and blue took shape on the canvas. Brush strokes and streaks of color took the shape of erratic winds; creating a visual effect befitting the heavenly warrior. 

Transfixed on her art, Michiru did not hear another person entering the studio. 

“Hey Michiru!” 

Michiru jumped in her skin. She scowled, revealing more emotion than intended. After ensuring no damage was inflicted upon her creation, she turned to the voice’s source. 

“Hello Elizabeth.” Michiru rest her palette on her lap and regarded the Fine Arts Club Vice President with the same cold, calculated demeanor she gave all of her one night stands. 

In all fairness to Elizabeth, she she seemed to want to forget about that night as much as Michiru. Most likely because she was embarrassed, not wanting anyone knowing she had slept with another woman. Whatever the reason, it was fine by Michiru. Elizabeth probably chalked it up to poor alcohol-induced judgment. Michiru, however, had not been intoxicated, and didn’t have the luxury of forgetting most of the awkward night. 

“Wow,” Elizabeth’s lean form bent to examine the fresh paint strokes. “Incredible work. It’s… Haruka Tenoh. Your boyfriend, right?”

Michiru glared. The lack of an outright denial gave her spunky classmate ammunition. “I knew it! You know how many people have asked if you two were an item after the art show? They’re too chicken to ask you to your face, of course. So I just said I didn’t know. But I can’t picture you going to the trouble of painting one of your flings.”

“One of my flings?” Michiru repeated with dripping sarcasm. 

Elizabeth rolled her clear blue eyes. “Oh come on, Michiru. Your fuck buddies don’t all exist in a vacuum, ya know. At least no one can accuse you of not having a type.”

Michiru blinked. Elizabeth’s unnecessary observation genuinely perplexed her. “What do you mean?”

The fellow artist crossed her arms as if trying to decide whether or not Michiru was toying with her. “Really? Tall, blond hair, blue eyes? Literally everyone who’s ever claimed to have slept with the mysterious Japanese prodigy.”

The realization hit Michiru like a brick wall. She immediately turned away from Elizabeth; the tall blond with a pixie cut and piercing blue eyes, and stared at her painting. Heat rose up her neck. 

Something that should have seemed so obvious to her had never dawned on her until now. Elizabeth was right. Everyone she’d ever courted, man or woman, fit that description perfectly. 

Which meant, to Michiru’s dismay, she had been chasing the woman in her dreams longer than she realized. 

“Anyway, what I meant to say,” Elizabeth continued, unfazed by Michiru’s stunned silence, “is that supposed to be Mr. Tenoh? Or is it like, a caricature for the type of people you like? Seeing as how he’s wearing a mask and all.”

No one could accuse Elizabeth of not being an insufferable art student. Here she was, dissecting the meaning behind an unfinished painting, no prompt necessary. Michiru would not have minded, if it didn’t imply Elizabeth was also trying to dissect her. 

“Must have been a subconscious decision, I suppose,” Michiru lied. 

“So was this painting idea your inspiration for the masquerade ball, or vice versa?”

Michiru did not appreciate the direction this conversation had been heading for a while, now. She wasn’t sure if Elizabeth was simply bored, or if the lack of an audience emboldened her; but frankly, Michiru was exhausted from the line of questioning. 

She gazed upon her new masterpiece. Uranus, Haruka’s doppelganger, wearing a golden mask, a decorated suit, and wielding a bejeweled saber, was the woman from her dreams. Her dream self, Neptune, had been painting this exact image when Uranus visited her on her birthday.

“This painting is your contribution for the masquerade ball, right?”

“Yes.” Michiru sighed. Every student in the Fine Arts Club was charged with creating a work of art to display during the charity event. 

“I like it. That brush stroke effect… You’ve never done anything like that before. Your work is always so realist.” Michiru didn’t recall Elizabeth ever being this chatty before. 

Please just leave, Michiru mused to herself.

“Did you need something from me?” Michiru turned up to Elizabeth, impatience etched into her furrowed teal brow.

“Well, since I’ve got you here, I did have a question.” Elizabeth slid a stool beside Michiru and sat on it. She crossed her limber legs and opened a notebook across her thighs. “Just needed to know if you had anything to donate to the charity ball. I’m making a list of all the items we’ll have to auction off to the loaded alumni.”

“A violin,” Michiru responded automatically. 

“A violin?”

“A refurbished Stradivarius.”

“Okay…” Elizabeth’s voice wavered. “It’s kinda supposed to be art related.”

“Music is art,” Michiru snapped back. 

Elizabeth’s small button nose scrunched up. “You know what I meant! Fine, I’ll add it to the list. Where’d ya get a refurbished Stradivarius?”

The cerulean daggers Michiru’s eyes shot told Elizabeth she was a dead woman if she kept prying. 

Elizabeth cleared her throat and abandoned her stool. 

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be this afternoon?” Michiru pressed, desperate for some more alone time to work on her project. 

“Afternoon? It’s after six on a Friday night! I’m gonna go to dinner and party with my sorority sisters. Do you wanna come?”

Michiru was too distracted to notice the forced politeness in Elizabeth’s question. She glanced at her wristwatch in a panic. “I’m going to be late for swim practice! I need to leave now!”

“If you promise to introduce me to Mr. Tenoh at the ball, I’ll put your supplies away for ya.”

Michiru never admitted she was planning to bring the infamous billionaire to the charity. Skin crinkled between her eyebrows. The frown was lost to Elizabeth, who smiled as if she’d won the most complicated and torturous debate in the history of mankind. 

Too rushed to argue, Michiru grabbed her duffel bag and headed for the door, not noticing the hooded figure lingering in the hallway as she ran by. 

**♆**

Laps and laps she swam around her teammates. She tried to slow down. Even at half her normal pace, her time easily put the team’s second-best swimmer to shame. Her arms and legs refused to stop. She lessened her pace, but the water carried her across the length of the pool of its own volition. 

Nobody asked for suggestions from her on how to improve their technique. Not anymore. There was a silent agreement among the team that Michiru possessed some sort of magical superpower, and they should just be grateful her presence carried them to the championship title. 

It wasn’t until everyone left for the evening that she could truly have fun. To swim without restrains. To be one with her element. When Michiru swam, every care and memory washed away on the waves she created. Foam and water sustained her. There was no need for school, work, food, or even air. 

Michiru could have, would have, swam forever if she allowed herself. Submerged and content, there were only two people she was unable to forget while she was one with the water; Haruka and Setsuna.

Remembering Haruka would be waiting, Michiru decided she should get out of the pool. While towel drying her hair, she dug her cell phone out of her bag and checked her text messages. 

A text from Elizabeth: _I put your stuff away and stuck your painting in the closet. So now you have to introduce me to Haruka at the charity ball._

Michiru regretted ever giving Elizabeth her number. 

_Fine._

Haruka didn’t even know about the event yet. Michiru knew she should tell her. Haruka was the richest business “man” on the planet. The longer she waited, the more likely her schedule wouldn’t allow her to participate. Answering prying questions from annoying classmates and professors when Mr. Tenoh accompanied her to the ball was not a prospect Michiru looked forward to. 

The sight of Haruka in a suit and wearing the mask she planned on making was the only reason Michiru entertained the entire notion. 

A thought struck Michiru. She pulled up her text log with Haruka, smiling while reading over the assorted texts. Haruka’s texts tended to be brief. The messages varied from asking what she wanted for dinner, to cute references to their provocative activities, to love notes. 

Haruka was, as a pleasant surprise to Michiru, an incredibly sweet, dorky, irresistible lover, all rolled into one. Michiru knew she had only just begun peeling back the layers, but she was already in love with every hidden layer she’d uncovered thus far. 

Love. Michiru swallowed hard. She denied the thought no sooner than it passed through her mind. They’d only known each other a little more than a month. Haruka was largely a mystery to her still; a rich, complicated, cross-dressing mystery. 

A mystery Michiru could not stop thinking about. A mystery entwined with her very own. A mystery something inside of her persistently reached out for. If Michiru believed in the Fates of Greek Mythology, she would have sworn the sisters at their loom weaved both of their life threads into one strand. 

Whether as a fated love story or a cruel joke, however, remained to be determined. 

After considering how to begin the latest round of teasing, Michiru sent her text. _Everyone is gone. You should come swimming with me._

She did not have time to set her phone down before it vibrated with an incoming reply. 

_You know I can’t be seen in public in a swimsuit._

_I didn’t say I wanted you to wear anything._

Michiru could see Haruka’s embarrassed, incredulous grin upon reading that message. She hoped Haruka was in a meeting, surrounded by stuffy men in suits wondering why the prodigy’s face was turning bright red. 

_That would be even worse. For my reputation, I mean._

Michiru rolled her eyes. _Then wear a tshirt and shorts._

Not expecting Haruka to actually come, despite all the goading, she decided it was time to go to the locker room and change. 

Cell phone in hand, she stood at the edge of the pool. She allowed herself one more moment to stare into its calming blue depths. It didn’t match the ocean, but the artificial, chemical-laden swimming pool still bestowed the same calming essence. 

Michiru’s reflection rippled, though there was nothing disturbing the water. She checked to make sure she hadn’t dropped her phone.

No. It was something else. 

The water was trying to warn her, if only she could understand.

Michiru’s breath hitched in her throat when she saw a distorted face reflected in the water beside her. 

Before she could turn around, a blunt force collided with the back of her head. 

Everything went black. 

**♆**

_Haruka._

_Haruka, please._

_Please look at me._

_No. Not like that. Like how you look at them. Those weak, immature, starry-eyed children who I have no business being jealous of because they don’t even know you._

_But I know who you really are._

_What you really are._

_Yes, I said you would flirt with her and I would flirt with him and it’d be the perfect distraction to keep them away from what we’re doing because even if she had the stomach for this we can’t let her soil her hands or get in our way._

_And yes, I DID say there’s nothing more important than the mission._

_But I lied._

_It wasn’t a lie. Not at first. But at some point, I’m not sure when, it transformed into a lie because something became even more important to me than our duty to protect Earth and the Princess._

_But you, Haruka… You took it too far._

_You kissed her._

_I can’t be mad or blame you because you somehow don’t remember us. What we were._

_You and I. The Perfect Storm._

_I can’t stop the dreams and the memories of Silver Millenium. Our forbidden meetings and trysts. Making love beneath Neptune’s waterfalls. Your mouth melding against my lips, bringing me to the clouds you soar through._

_So forgive me, if I cannot forget the erotic dreams when I awake and we go to school and perform our senshi duties._

_I just want you to look at me, even if it’s the flirtatious, meaningless smile you show to all those little girls._

_I know why._

_This is my fault. I did this to you. Before I came along you were an innocent high schooler, racing cars and people who never stood a chance against you. My oblivious Wind Scion._

_But you don’t know. You don’t remember. At least, I don’t think you do. How we used to be._

_The devastating years apart as we died inside, only to come alive again in each other’s arms. Sneaking away during formal gatherings or making love while floating through the vast outreaches of space. And now I’d give anything for you to claim me in your car or your helicopter or the floor of the apartment just claim me and smother me and erase me with your mouth._

_But you don’t feel these things when you look at me. You only see a fellow soldier, a comrade in arms, when we’re really lovers and soul mates and why?_

_Why?_

_Uranuswhywon’tyoulookatme!?_

**♆**

“Dead… Scream.”

Brilliant lavender and black streaks flash through the water. The whispered words are crisp, clear, and a frightening promise of death. 

Face down. Fading into the water. 

“Did you see that? It looked like—“

“Dammit! We missed it! This way!”

Those voices. 

She should move. 

Here, submerged deep in the chilling depths of her fears and insecurities, she is a willing prisoner. 

“But Michiru!”

“Haruka’s coming, let’s go!”

Rumblings. The water thrashes violently. 

Still, she floats on. 

“You know the water won’t hurt her! We have to catch it!”

...

Abandoned again.

**♆**

“Michiru! Michiru!” 

Everything was pitch black. She thought she was dead until chlorine tore apart her throat and nostrils. She retched the pool water out of her lungs. Burning, grating ringing in her ears told her she was somehow still alive. 

Her mind continued to swim, drifting in purgatory between dreams and reality. 

“Michiru! Come on, wake up!”

The familiar, frantic voice pulled Michiru back. Her eyes opened. 

The heavenly warrior. Her eternal partner. Her lover of lifetimes. 

A gold aura radiates from her. She’s coated in white clouds and, though everything is fuzzy, Michiru can sense piercing blue eyes staring into her with alarming detail. 

Michiru knows every facet and distinguishing feature of those eyes. 

_Uranus… Why are you crying?_

“Uranus?”

“What? It’s Haruka. Are you ok? You were face down. In the water. I didn’t know how long you’d been there. I thought…”

Reality settled in. The heartsickness of her dream didn’t relent. Her vision focused. Haruka’s cropped hair was segmented into wet tendrils. His eyes were grey, red-rimmed and moist. His suit was soaked, covered in red splotches and what looked like white dust. 

Haruka’s shirt, covered in dusty white debris and crimson, clung to his body, giving away the beige compression top beneath it. 

“You…” The pool chemicals stung. Michiru swallowed in a vain attempt to spread natural lubricant through her throat and tried again. “You pulled me out?”

“Yes.” Haruka’s jaw clenched as if annoyed she was focusing on such a trite detail. “I don’t know CPR. I don’t think any paramedics have arrived yet. I was so scared you—”

“Paramedics?”

“There was an explosion. A bomb or something. I was already on my way here and Setsuna was calling me.” Haruka stopped and shook his head. “Can you stand?”

An explosion? Michiru didn’t remember an explosion. Then again, she didn’t remember anything. There was only the pleas of her, or someone inside of her, calling out for Haruka’s attention. 

“I… I think so.” 

Haruka helped Michiru to her feet. Prolonged lack of oxygen weakened her muscles, causing Michiru’s knees to buckle. With gentle ease, Haruka swooped Michiru up into his arms. 

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

“No. I’m fine.” Michiru was not fine in the slightest. She was light headed and dizzy and every inch of her head was throbbing. But the hospital was the last place she wanted to be. 

Michiru reached out to trace the protruding pattern of Haruka’s binding undershirt. “We need to get out of here if you don’t want anyone noticing this.”

Haruka cradled Michiru closer. “Don’t worry about me. Are you sure? There was so much blood.”

Blood? Michiru looked at the blotches of crimson on Haruka’s shirt. Was that her blood? 

“I’m sure… Just take me home.” 

Head resting on Haruka’s shoulder, Michiru drifted in and out of consciousness as she was carried to the car. A cacophony of flashing sirens and distressed cries kept Michiru awake. Reporters and emergency medical technicians were already on the scene. Michiru heard Haruka brushing off reporters. She tried looking about the scene, but her blurred vision and throbbing headache made her nauseous. 

“Take us home Joshua,” Haruka ordered while shoving Michiru into the backseat of the car. 

Michiru laid her head on Haruka’s lap, and mercifully did not dream again. 

**♆**

“Let’s get cleaned up,” Haruka proposed after the two of them were safe in the privacy of her bedroom. 

Now that Michiru had managed to stay conscious for more than a minute at a time, she noticed the worry lines creasing Haruka’s brow. 

Michiru looked down at herself. She still wore her bathing suit. Haruka’s drenched jacket was draped over her shoulders. Without waiting for an answer, Haruka loosened her tie and began unbuttoning her shirt. A chalky substance clung to Haruka’s hair and skin, unsuccessfully covering blood stains. 

Haruka remembered herself and stopped to help Michiru to her feet. “Here, I’ll help you to the bathroom.”

“I can walk now,” Michiru countered, but did not stop Haruka from helping her into the conjoined private bath. 

The tiles were contained whorls of white and grey marble, cold against her bare feet. Haruka opened the glass shower door, started the water, and closed it behind her. 

Michiru felt the mirror calling out to her, but she was too afraid to gaze upon her reflection. 

“May I?” Michiru closed the gap between their bodies. Her fingers crawled around Haruka until they tickled the fastenings on the back of the compression top. 

Haruka nodded. She stood motionless as Michiru slid her unbuttoned top down, and studied the chest binder before removing it. Haruka exhaled as the compression material lifted, freeing her breasts. 

“I like you as a man… but I like you as a woman too.” Michiru brushed the pads of her thumbs across Haruka’s nipples. “I guess female you still feels like a commodity.”

Haruka chuckled nervously. “Thanks. I… I’m sorry for deceiving you. I really am. I guess I haven’t found a good way to come out with it when the entire world thinks I’m a man.”

“I understand.” Michiru removed Haruka’s belt and unfastened the button. “Don’t lie to me again.”

“Deal.” Haruka shimmied out of her pants and soaked boxer briefs. Michiru took a moment to appreciate the runner’s muscular legs. Despite her exhaustion and pounding headache, Michiru wanted nothing more than to explore the forbidden fruit hiding beneath the small tuft of blond hair between Haruka’s legs. In keeping with Haruka’s wishes she kept her hands to herself, fighting against the voice in her head. 

Michiru closed her eyes as Haruka pulled the polyester blend off of her body. Haruka was all business as she led Michiru into the spacious shower. 

“What are you doing?” Michiru asked. Haruka turned her around and began massaging her scalp. 

“Can’t you feel that?” Haruka tugged on the back of Michiru’s head. Truthfully, she couldn’t feel anything outside of the pain in her head and the lingering melancholy in her heart. “There’s blood matted in your hair. I’m trying to get it out. Hold still.”

Michiru frowned but said nothing. She let the hot shower water bead down her back. 

“Do you remember what happened?” Haruka asked. 

“One moment I was standing by the pool, texting you… Then I heard your voice.” Michiru could not shake the feeling that she was forgetting a monumental detail, but the harder she looked the further it ran. 

“I see a scar… It’s healed already.” Haruka fondled the back of her head. Michiru felt the disbelief in her voice. 

Annoyed, Michiru turned to face Haruka and moved the hands from her hair. “Stop, I’m fine. I’m not—“

“Helpless. I know,” Haruka finished. She pulled her hands back, clenching them into fists at her side. “I thought you were dead, Michiru! Dead! I pulled your lifeless body out of the water… There was so much blood. I thought I’d never get to be with you again. So humor me and let me pamper you for a minute!” 

Unable to find an appropriate rebuttal, Michiru found herself cowed into silence for the first time in recent memory. Haruka’s raised voice was more unexpected than frightening. If anything, Michiru appreciated her passion. Setsuna loved and cared for her, she knew, but she approached everything with structured dignity and rarely exposed emotions like anger or frustration. 

Michiru laid her head on Haruka’s chest, forcing herself to let someone take care of her in an intimate, but undemanding and unassuming fashion. Haruka massaged her scalp with shampoo and condition that smelled like men’s cologne. 

Relaxing her arms around the slight curve of Haruka’s hips, Michiru was beginning to think she might actual like this feeling— if it were not for the pressing headache and the persistent voice in her head she couldn’t escape. 

_Uranuswhywon’tyoulookatme?!_

“Hey, Haruka?” Michiru whispered as Haruka was rinsing conditioner from her tangled locks. 

“Yes?”

Michiru pulled away. Her eyes sought out Haruka’s through the heavy steam between them. “Take me to the Skyloft.”

“Are you sure? I think you should rest.”

Michiru shook her head. “When I blacked out, I had a dream. Or something. And I…” Michiru fondled the cropped, sandy hair with her fingers. She became lost in Haruka’s worried eyes. She couldn’t find a proper explanation for the cavernous hole growing in her heart. The hurt she felt grew as Haruka caressed her beneath the hot stream. “I just… need you to make love to me.”

“Okay…” Haruka began hesitantly. Her lips grazed Michiru’s forehead. “But only because I’m incapable of saying no to you.”

“What kind of dominant are you?” Michiru teased. Haruka’s forehead was pressed against hers. Warmth radiated from the contact, all but eliminating Michiru’s headache. 

“A very bad one, with you.” Haruka trailed her lips down the bridge of Michiru’s nose. “I’ve never done what you’re asking before.”

“Hmm?” Michiru felt light headed again, except this time it was due lto Haruka’s lips tickling hers as she spoke. 

Haruka’s hands. Hands belonging to a soldier, pressed down into the small of Michiru’s back. “I mean… I’ve never made love to anyone before.”

“Neither have I,” Michiru added after a lengthy pause.

Beads of hot water accentuated the taste of Haruka’s tongue inside her mouth. Michiru’s wet body slid against her taller lover. Every feminine dip and curve Haruka concealed in public was on display and slipping against her. 

Haruka’s ministrations were gentle and purposeful. With more delicacy than Michiru thought her capable of, she had Michiru pinned against the cold, slick shower tiles. Lips placed kisses against her clavicle, fluttering and afraid, as if she might disappear. 

A chill ran through Michiru’s damp body. She pulled Haruka closer for warmth and reassurance. 

They were here. Together. 

Still, the insecure stranger inside her persisted. The longer Haruka cradled and kissed her, the louder the desperate voice inside her grew. 

“Ruka, please…” Michiru didn’t know where that pet name came from, or even what she was asking for. 

The shower water tapered to a stop. Water swirled down the drain. Michiru leaned against the shower wall for support as Haruka stepped out to grab them towels. 

“Mmm. Have I told you how cute your butt is?” Michiri drawled. Haruka hitched an eyebrow, suppressing a grin that was half-embarrassment, half-amusement. Without a word, the tycoon wrapped a downy towel around Michiru’s body before doing herself. 

Wearing only towels, the two women made their way to the Skyloft. Michiru was too absorbed in her thoughts to complain about being carried again. She hoped their steamy shower foreplay would have soothed the tumultuous entity reaching out for Haruka, but it had only made the feelings worse. If this round of lovemaking did not satisfy the being inside of her, Michiru wasn’t sure what she would do. 

Upon entering the Skyloft, Haruka laid Michiru down on the satin sheets she was now intimately familiar with. 

“Wait here,” Haruka instructed after discarding their towels. Michiru gazed up to the stars shining down on Earth. 

Glowing, full and magnificent, was the moon. Staring at its silvery aura usually filled Michiru with a sense of peace she never knew elsewhere. The moon was unable to shake her desperation, but it did provide a sense of reassurance and hope. Maybe Michiru was on the right path to silencing the squall within her. 

Michiru sank into the moonlight, letting it absorb her cares for a brief moment, until Haruka reappeared above her. 

“Promise you’ll stop me if you don’t feel well,” Haruka urged. She propped herself on her elbows, staring down at Michiru with an intensity that unsettled her. 

Knowing Haruka was not going to so much as kiss her without agreeing, Michiru brushed her blond bangs back and sighed. “Okay.”

To show how well she felt, Michiru pulled Haruka’s face into hers. They resumed where they left off in the shower, kissing with slow, intimate intent. Michiru’s tongue memorized every crevice of Haruka’s mouth. Her hands wandered, finding every sensitive place that made Haruka groan. 

Exploring hands and hungry lips, their kissing seemed to go on forever. The melancholy inside her stilled, for now, but Michiru had no doubt the entity inside of her would return if she was not satisfied. Desperate for relief, Michiru pressed Haruka’s hips down into her. 

“Oh!” Michiru gasped, feeling the foreign object between her legs. 

Haruka slipped a hand between Michiru’s legs. Two fingers slid inside of her, introducing a warm, silky lubricant into the folds of her labia. 

“Oh…” Michiru repeated, rather liking the sensation the lubricant spread through her. Technically, she didn’t think she needed it, but it felt so good, and different, and if Haruka was going to be putting that entire strap-on inside of her, it definitely wouldn’t hurt. 

“Do you like it?” Haruka asked, her voice laced with hunger. 

“Nnngh…” Michiru choked back a moan as Haruka’s fingers moved inside of her. “I’d like it better inside of me.”

Haruka bent down to nibble on the inside of Michiru’s thighs. “Very funny…” She bit hard enough to leave a mark, sending bolts of lightning down Michiru’s leg. “I meant the lube.” 

“Yes… It feels wonderful,” Michiru answered honestly. Haruka removed her fingers, which brought Michiru to attention. Through hooded eyelids, she watched Haruka position herself between her legs. She grabbed the cock and pressed its tip against Michiru’s swollen clit. The tip worked circles around her, increasing in pressure as Michiru writhed beneath it. 

“Kami-sama!” Michiru slipped into her native tongue. “You’re such a tease.”

“Me?” Haruka stretched the length of her body against Michiru’s. The weight of her breasts crashed against Michiru’s chest. Her breath, gusts of ocean breeze, spread across Michiru’s neck. One hand entwined in damp tendrils of aquamarine hair, the other guiding the shaft outside of Michiru’s entrance. “You’ve been teasing me since the moment we met.”

The husky, ravenous tone of Haruka’s voice almost set Michiru over the edge. Desire coiled, hot and tight, in her belly. Normally she would have enjoyed the banter, but she was desperate; afraid the sadness would return, not willing to wait another minute to remind herself she was alive. 

“Ruka, please.” 

“Please what?” Haruka slid the tip between Michiru’s lips, just enough for her to feel the girth tickling her throbbing entrance. 

Being coy was not a good look for Haruka. Not when Michiru absolutely needed to work her hips against a full, solid appendage. Michiru narrowed her eyes before pulling Haruka’s bottom lip down with her teeth, refusing to release it until Haruka whimpered. “Please show me you know what to do with that thing between your legs.”

“Gladly,” Haruka growled. She pulled Michiru into a sitting position with one arm. Michiru gasped at both the speed and Haruka’s strength. It was easy to forget, with her lanky build, how deceptively strong Haruka was. 

After hooking Michiru’s leg around her waist, Haruka finally gave her what she wanted. The length and girth filled Michiru with tight, delicious ecstasy. 

Haruka laid Michiru back down without dislodging the strap-on. Michiru felt the hilt, wandering her hands down to the harness buckled around Haruka’s waist. As Haruka began to move her hips, Michiru dug her fingernails into her butt and guided her along. 

Hungry for release as she was, Michiru did not rush this moment. She languished in Haruka’s damp, sweaty body moving against hers. The penetration, and this position, was a level of intimacy Michiru had never known before. An agonizingly slow orgasm built inside of her, in response to the curved shaft stroking her G-spot and the tender, almost painful stare Haruka was giving her. 

“Haruka…” Michiru reached for her face. Haruka leaned into Michiru’s touch, not pausing the patient rock of her hips. Michiru saw through the shroud of uncertainty and guilt masking Haruka’s handsome features. 

Haruka’s stormy grey eyes revealed more than Michiru could fathom in this moment. Layers of mysteries and promises, numerous as the stars in the sky, waited to be unveiled. They called out to the pain in Michiru’s heart, reminding her of how desperately she needed this woman. 

Haruka stared down at her with raw longing, and Michiru choked back a sob. 

_She’s looking at us… Just like you wanted._

“Michiru, I…” 

“Shh.” Michiru swallowed the proclamation with her mouth. Haruka pressed down into her. Mouths and chests and gyrating hips all working in sync with desperate hunger. Michiru wrapped her legs around Haruka, pulling her in as close as the physical limitations of their bodies would allow. 

Despair blossomed into a toe-curling, mind erasing tsunami of emotions. Michiru’s canal clenched against the member repeatedly, finding it unrelenting, no matter how many times she came onto it. Haruka stopped kissing her to stare down in wonder and satisfaction as Michiru lost herself, again and again, onto the cock Haruka languidly pumped in and out of her. 

The orgasms, while deeply satisfying, paled in comparison to the emotional toll accompanying them. Michiru’s desperation for Haruka, or the other Haruka, or the Uranus of her dreams, overflowed with a peculiar sense of deja vu and a yearning that spanned centuries. 

Michiru felt them—the tears she loathed— pouring from her eyes. And she had no idea why. 

She only knew that Haruka was the answer to everything. 

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” 

Michiru pressed Haruka’s forehead into hers. 

The center of her universe was here, in Haruka’s eyes.

“Just look at me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with Michiru's flashbacks in this chapter. The way the manga handled Haruka kissing Usagi has always bothered me for a few reasons. One reason being Michiru's thoughts on the entire thing are never explored. So, I thought that would be one of the only instances the white whale that is angst!Michiru would exist, and I wanted to try my handle at writing it. 
> 
> Otherwise, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It's got a little bit of everything, and signals the action finally ramping up! (But not at the expense of the smut... so no worries!)


	14. Priorities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka runs some errands while Michiru recovers. Then she gets roped into cooking dinner.

**♅**

_“I knew you could dance,” she compliments me. I’m really just following her lead, somehow managing not to step on her feet._

_This dream again._

_The compliment, and the very distracting way every curve of her body is pressing against mine through her sheer dress makes my face burn. I release her waist, checking my face to ensure I’m still wearing the mask._

_“How did you know that?” How could she know, when I don’t even know?_

_I can still see her eyes, confident behind the veil of her masquerade mask. I’m grateful but also withering beneath the smoldering cerulean spheres. Her stare is relentless, unabashed. No one has ever regarded me with equal parts intrigue and lust as she is._

_“The way you fight, of course.” Her fingernails graze the nape of my neck and I shiver. “Your coordination. Your posture. Your confidence. When you’re Sailor Uranus wielding your sword… Nothing can stop you.”_

_Uranus. Sailor Uranus._

_“Oh,” I sigh. I’m at an extreme disadvantage, having no idea what the hell she is talking about. The seductive cadence of her voice mesmerizes me. More interested in listening to her voice than my own, I stare and wait for her to speak again._

_“I suppose this is when I should apologize,” she continues._

_“For what?”_

_“For pulling you away from your territories to assist me.”_

_“What do you mean?” I place my hand on the curve of her hip again._

_She rolls her eyes, both annoyed and playful. “Do you honestly believe I needed your assistance with those invaders last time? Or the time before that?”_

_The music switches to another song. The waltz is over, replaced by a slower tempo. I thought her body was too close before… Now both of her arms are wrapped around my neck and her head is on my shoulder. I notice she’s staring at the orchestra of strange Earth instruments._

_“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “I guess I’ll always come to your aid. No questions asked.”_

_“I’ve never seen those before. Have you?” She changes the subject. Our hips sway in sync to each other and the music._

_“No. We don’t have anything like that on my planet.” I bury my nose in her hair._

_“That one, right there. It’s called a violin. It sounds heavenly, don’t you think?”_

_Not really. Not that it’s bad. Just different. She’s enamored by the orchestra for another full minute. I stop hearing the music. There is only her, this ocean goddess, in my arms._

_“I bet you could make it sound better.” Ugh, I used to be much better at this flirting thing…_

_Is that what I’m trying to do? Flirt with this image of perfection who is way beyond my league?_

_She giggles and pulls away to look up at me. “Maybe someday I will get my hands on one. I’m usually very skilled when it comes to that.”_

_“When it comes to what?” I take the bait like the clueless fool that I am._

_“To getting what I want,” she purrs. Then, after a beat, she pouts. Those lips make me forget to breathe. “Although you’re making me doubt myself. I suppose I’m rusting, spending all my time in Neptunian space with no one to lure into my bed.”_

_“I, umm- I don’t—“_

_“Honestly, are all Uranians this dense?” She scoffs. The fingers of her left hand travel to the lapel of my uniform. She gives the fabric grave consideration before the shadow beneath her mask shifts. “Or am I being entirely too presumptuous here?”_

_Sweat beads across my brow. I’m flustered beyond repair, but I try speaking anyway. “That girl, Venus, said—“_

_“She says a lot of things, quite frankly,” she quips, “but I did seek her council as she is the voice on all matters of the heart. I sought her reassurance because I am exhausted. I have been throwing myself at you for more Neptunian years than I care to count. And I told myself if you were not reciprocative tonight then I would finally give up on us.”_

_I remember my jealousy when the generals battled over her attention earlier. Every dream, every flashback, every time I imagine the two of us making love: they all center around this pivotal moment._

_A call for the last dance sounds out in the packed ballroom._

_One last dance to usher in a new beginning._

_“No! I’m sorry, I’m… I guess I’m as dense as you say.” The painted blue waves and reefs of her mask glisten in the light. In these visions of confusion, I am grounded in the certainty of her existence._

_If only… “I just wish you would take off your mask.”_

_She gets on her tiptoes and whispers in my ear. “Come to my room and I’ll take off whatever you’d like.”_

**♅**

“Haruka! Hey, are you okay?” 

Haruka’s hands flung to her face. There was no mask, only perspiration and clammy skin. 

“Sorry,” Haruka murmured and rolled to her left side, facing the immaculate beauty beside her. As she appreciated the radiance of the young woman beside her, Haruka could not stop a twinge of guilt. “I didn’t mean to wake you. That’s why you’re supposed to be sleeping in your own room, you know.”

It wasn’t that Haruka wanted Michiru to sleep separately. They had cuddled and fallen asleep together, in Haruka’s bed, since Michiru moved in. Falling asleep and waking up beside her was a joy Haruka never thought she would experience. 

However, she had been a restless sleeper since the dreams began. Always tossing and turning, calling out and sweating profusely. The fitful nights did not appear ready to abate anytime soon; in fact, the dreams were becoming more frequent. 

Haruka looked down at her navy halter top and matching silk boxers. She was drenched in sweat. 

“I was already awake,” Michiru began. Not seeming phased by Haruka’s dishevelment, she inched closer to her on the bed. “Cramps woke me up. I started my period.”

“Do you need Tylenol or Midol or anything?” Haruka asked while wrapping an arm around Michiru’s waist. 

“No. It’s just a minor annoyance. Believe it or not, I’d take period cramps over the headache I had last night.”

With the haziness of her dream gone for the time being, Haruka thought about the bizarre events of the previous night. The campus gymnasium crumbling. Michiru floating, face down in the swimming pool. How she coughed the water out of her lungs without CPR being administered. How the wound on the back of her head healed within an hour. 

Most surprising of all, to Haruka, was her melancholy and vulnerability afterward. The tender lovemaking was indescribable. Haruka’s chest felt full and her head was light just watching Michiru tremble and clutch onto her. Afterwards, they stared into each other’s eyes until Michiru finally fell asleep and Haruka carried her to bed. 

As her tears spilled and she begged Haruka to look down at her, there was no doubt in the billionaire’s mind; last night and every night to come, she would do whatever was in her power to ensure Michiru’s happiness. 

The masked woman’s visage flashed. Haruka grimaced and shook the vision away. 

“How do you feel now?” Haruka asked as they cuddled in bed. 

“Grateful to be alive. And I—“ Michiru bolted upright. “Shit. I never called Setsuna last night! She must think I’m dead.”

“Hey.” Haruka reached out and rubbed Michiru’s back. “Relax. I called her after you fell asleep last night.”

“Oh.” Michiru’s shoulders sagged. “What did you say?”

“I told her what happened. And that you’re here with me. Oh, Joshua retrieved your swim bag. Your phone fell in the pool though. It’s ruined.”

Michiru groaned. “Figures.”

“Setsuna said she’s buying you a new one today. I told her I’d come pick it up.” Haruka cleared her throat and tried her hand at a Setsuna imitation. “‘Tell Michiru she is to relax and not leave the bed today.’”

Michiru snorted at the impersonation. “Too bad she can’t tell me what to do anymore.”

“She knew you’d say that. So she also said, ‘I’m not her legal guardian anymore, but I expect her to do it anyway.’”

“Staying in bed all day would be much more enjoyable if I wasn’t having my period,” Michiru teased before adding, “Besides, it’s Saturday. I have homework and studying to do anyway.”

“How about this?” Haruka turned in bed and faced Michiru. “I’ll go see Setsuna, get your new phone, and run some errands. We’ll have a quiet dinner together. Angela is off, so I’ll cook.”

Michiru arched a teal eyebrow. “You can cook?” 

“Of course I can cook!” Haruka feigned offense. “And I can also buy my own groceries, believe it or not.”

“Okay, sorry,” Michiru laughed and kissed Haruka’s cheek. “Oh, I, um… have something I need to ask you.”

Michiru turned from playful affection to bashful with the drop of a hat. Curious as to what could possibly make her shy after the things they’d done together already, Haruka prepared herself. “Yes?”

“The Fine Arts Club is hosting a fundraiser in a couple of weeks… Whenever I can book the gallery since the gymnasium is going to be unavailable for who knows how long.” Michiru began picking at the comforter threading. “We’re doing a masquerade theme and I was wondering if you’d be my date.”

“A masquerade ball?”

_I just wish you would take off your mask._

Haruka swallowed. The coincidence, if the term even applied, was uncanny.

More unsettling was Michiru’s pout when Haruka did not automatically agree. “I know you’re busy, so if you don’t want to—“

“Of course I’ll go! I just, uh… What made you decide to do a masquerade ball?”

Michiru blinked, no doubt confused with Haruka’s sudden trepidation. 

“Maybe I think you’ll look sexy in a tuxedo and mask…” Michiru grinned and crawled onto Haruka’s lap. The blonde groaned. She should have known better than to expose any weakness; Michiru would pounce on it in a heartbeat. “I’ll be designing it for you, by the way.”

Haruka took a deep breath while Michiru’s hands snaked up the front of her form-fitting top. She knew she had to rein in some sort of control or Michiru would run away with it. “Fine… but my stylist is going to dress us.” 

“Fine,” Michiru chirped, seeing right through the thin veneer of control Haruka was exerting. “Go run your errands so you can come home.”

Home. Here, in Michiru’s arms, with all the tension and electricity and confusion, was where she belonged. 

“Yes. Home.”

**♅**

Haruka took a deep breath. He straightened his checkered tie and smoothed the lapels of his suit. He told himself he would not let his temper get the better of him, or say things that might upset or embarrass Michiru later. 

But Michiru was the anticipated topic he planned to discuss. Simply thinking about her unraveled the carefully practiced business persona he spent years perfecting. 

And Setsuna, well, something about that woman unnerved Haruka to the core. 

He knocked and waited as the door unlocked from inside. He was soon met with Ms. Meiou’s collected visage. She wore a tailored woman’s dress suit more appropriate for a day at the office than lounging at home. Haruka could not deny she cut a striking figure. Setsuna’s three-inch heels made him crane his neck to look into her eyes. 

Her garnet eyes assessed his with equal scrutiny. 

“Please, come in.”

Hands shoved down his front pockets, Haruka entered the studio apartment. After removing his loafers, he startled when noticing the raven-haired woman sitting on the couch. 

Rei Hino, he mentally retrieved her name. She was dressed more casually then Setsuna; in a form-fitting red sweater and denim. Black bangs concealed her face as she stared down into a laptop screen. Upon hearing Haruka’s entrance, however, she turned her gaze upward and regarded him. No greeting or smile this time. 

“Can I get you something to drink?” Setsuna offered. 

“No thank you,” Haruka declined with pointed politeness. 

“Please have a seat,” Setsuna insisted while gesturing to the available furniture. Haruka could have taken the desk without sharing the couch Rei was occupying. He knew better than to sit. That would imply casualness and comfort. He already lacked the height advantage thanks to Setsuna’s heels; he wasn’t about to make himself any less imposing. 

“No thanks. I won’t be long,” the business tycoon declined once more. 

“How is she?” Setsuna asked while making the short walk to the kitchen counter. 

“Better than she has any reason to be. Considering what she went through last night,” Haruka grumbled. Michiru’s recovery was nothing short of miraculous; much like that of her legal guardian standing before him.

Setsuna grabbed a small box and presented it to him. “I took the liberty of putting a waterproof case on this one, since Michiru neglected to do so last time.”

Haruka slid the top off of the white box, revealing a brand new smartphone wearing a sea green case, with a corresponding charger and headphone buds. Satisfied, he closed the box and regarded Setsuna once more. 

She presented herself as prim and proper, about as stiff as a person could be. Yet Haruka could not shake the image of her bloody, collapsed body from her mind. He remembered driving the needle deep into her chest, cringing as her body went flat. 

Now she acted as though nothing had ever happened. 

“How are _you_ feeling?” Haruka gathered the nerve to begin his planned line of questioning. “Michiru isn’t the only one who makes miraculous recoveries around here.”

“I’m doing well, thank you.” 

She had the best poker face Haruka ever had the pleasure of going up against. 

“I was wondering if we could speak in private,” Haruka turned to Rei. Her violet eyes locked onto the monitor before them, but he could tell she was hanging on every syllable. 

“Whatever you wish to discuss, it can be discussed in front of my colleague.”

Haruka grunted. He really didn’t have time to argue. “Fine. Are you going to tell me what the fuck happened on Michiru’s birthday? She might be used to your confidential work bullshit excuses, but I’m not buying it.”

Setsuna did not react to his tone or curses. She leaned against the armrest of the couch, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “I understand your doubt and frustration.”

“Do you?” 

Setsuna took a deep breath against Haruka’s combative words. Her fingers relaxed against her biceps, drawing Haruka’s attention to the diamond ring he first noticed that night. 

“Yes. Because not telling you and Michiru the truth is equally as frustrating.”

“Then why?” Haruka pressed. “Just tell me. What the hell happened, and what the fuck is in that safe?”

Setsuna turned to her work colleague, who matched her gaze with an equally intense one of her own. “I thank you for saving my life. And I apologize if those events caused you undue stress. But the fact remains: our work is strictly confidential.”

“If I may,” Rei finally broke her silence after tearing her gaze from Setsuna. “Being a successful businessman such as yourself, you must understand and appreciate the value and, sometimes, the necessity, in keeping secrets.”

Haruka grimaced. He hated the ironic way Rei spoke to him. Her amethyst orbs were staring directly at his chest, he convinced himself. 

“I care more about Michiru’s safety than your damn secrets.”

Setsuna cleared her throat. “That is why you must understand. Everything I do is for her safety. She has always been one of my highest priorities.”

“One of?” Haruka raised an eyebrow. 

Setsuna took a step towards Haruka. Her expressionless eyes shifted, causing him to do a double-take. Setsuna looked hurt. Forlorn. Her left hand with the glistening diamond ring reached out. 

“I wish I was exaggerating when I say the fate of our galaxy hangs in the balance.” Setsuna placed her hand on Haruka’s shoulders. “So, please. If you could watch over Michiru and keep her safe I would be even more indebted to you.”

The intimate contact disturbed Haruka. Not that he felt violated or harassed. Despite the woman’s close proximity to his face, there was nothing threatening in her touch or stare. Haruka felt her sincerity. 

As much as he didn’t want to believe her, he did. 

“I…” Haruka sank into Setsuna’s uncharacteristically earnest gaze. “I planned on doing that anyway.”

“I am glad we can agree on something.” 

“So you aren’t going to confirm or deny that thing in your room came from the asteroid that destroyed my building in India?” Haruka pressed one more time. 

“Correct.”

Setsuna broke her gaze from Haruka, alleviating him from the pressure. 

“I had another question,” he remembered before turning to leave. 

Setsuna returned to her full height. Back to her taciturn self, she placed her hands on her hips, awaiting Haruka’s question. 

“Are you sure you two aren’t related?”

“I’m sure.” Setsuna tilted her head. “Why do you ask?”

“You both have an uncanny way of bouncing back from near-death experiences,” Haruka took no care in shielding the accusations in his voice. 

“Michiru has always healed very quickly. From wounds of the flesh, that is.”

“She was— there was so much blood. I thought…” Haruka’s hands twitched at the memory of Michiru’s lifeless body floating among the debris. He hurriedly fished his hands inside his pocket, grabbing sunglasses and putting them on in an effort to conceal the tears welling in his eyes. 

“Anyway. It was strange. It was just like you.”

“Michiru and I,” Setsuna spared a glance to Rei, who offered a solemn nod, “We are bound by something stronger than blood. In time, you’ll understand.”

The way Setsuna continuously deferred to her co-worker irritated Haruka, but with nothing else to go on and realizing Setsuna’s lips were sealed for now, he saw no value in pushing the issue. 

“One more thing,” Setsuna stopped Haruka on his way out the door. “Michiru is normally very healthy and self-sufficient. Except she often suffers from headaches, and is too stubborn to say anything.”

“Headaches?” Haruka echoed. Last night was the only time Michiru complained, and that was after taking what he assumed was a massive blow to the back of her head. He immediately thought of his own frequent pains, which he had not been shy about mentioning in her presence. 

“Would you know anything about that?” Setsuna pried in a carefully calculated tone the businessman was accustomed to. 

“No.” Haruka felt more confident lying behind the safety of his sunglasses. 

“Stubborn girl,” Setsuna chastised. “Please have Michiru call me tonight.”

“I will.” Haruka held up the new phone. 

“Goodbye Mr. Tenoh,” Rei slightly bowed. Her serene, aloof nature irritated him more than Setsuna. He forced himself to return the gesture. After lifting his face, he froze. 

Surrounding Rei’s eyes and engulfing half of her face were bright orange flames. Heat radiated from the dancing tongues all the way across the room. Flames flickered. Haruka wondered how she could not feel them. How were her bangs not singed, or her skin not blistering? 

Haruka blinked again. 

A mask. 

It was only a mask. 

Somehow, the realization made him feel worse. 

“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again soon,” Rei smiled. 

**♅**

Haruka shifted his canary yellow Mercedes-Benz into park. From behind the safety of his sunglasses he browsed the seedy sidewalks for hints of paparazzi or cameras. Joshua normally accompanied him during these outings to the less savory outskirts of the city. After the strange events yesterday, Haruka felt better having his security chief at the residence with Michiru. 

Besides. For better or worse, being a known associate of Kaori Kuromine’s came with a certain level of protection and respect amongst her people and the lesser gangs her people, covertly known as the Death Busters, outranked. 

Haruka locked his car without taking any other precautions. He approached the main entrance to a dingy salon. The front facade had peeled paint and a faded sign that was illegible.

Sitting on the curb, smoking a cigarette, was a man with wide shoulders and a leather jacket. A gun holster poked out from beneath it. The two gave each other curt nods and Haruka entered the salon without interruption. 

The inside of the small facility revealed its true nature. The tile flooring was waxed and polished to the point where it could be eaten off of. Haruka saw his blurry reflection in the white flooring. 

Pink fluorescent lights were embedded in the ceiling, shrouding the entire salon with a rosy glow. There were three vacant massage tables located in the center of the square room. Lined against the left wall were four salon chairs, all crafted in red leather with head and foot rests. 

Sitting in the chair furthest from the entrance, receiving both a pedicure and a shoulder massage, was Kaori. Her abundance of orange hair was wrapped in a towel above her head. A matching cream towel was wrapped snug around her breasts, falling apart barely halfway down her thighs. 

“Well hello, my pet.” Kaori’s eyes remained closed while she enjoyed her pampering. 

“Hello,” Haruka replied while removing his sunglasses. His eyes drifted to her shoulders, glistening from the oil being massaged into them. Jasmine notes filled the air. 

A third young, female attendant appeared. She began filing the nails of Kaori’s left hand, not affected by the lit cigarette the gang leader held in the same hand. 

“I hope you’ve changed your mind about taking a sub. Business has been slow lately,” Kaori drawled before taking a drag on her cigarette. 

Haruka rolled his eyes. “No.”

“Put your back into it!” Kaori yelled at the girl massaging her shoulders before turning to her guest. “Are you sure? Cyprine and Eudial are available. You were rather fond of Cyprine, weren’t you?”

“If you need a loan, Kaori, just ask,” Haruka taunted. He crossed his arms and grinned at the violet glare he earned. 

“Fine. No escorts. What do you want, then?”

“Your reassurance.”

“Of?” Kaori flicked the ashes from the tip of her cigarette into a glass ashtray held in the palms of the servant who had been painting her nails. The acrid stench of Kaori’s fire-red nail polish caused Haruka’s nostrils to curl. 

“I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you had nothing to do with what happened at NYU last night.”

Kaori released a shrilling laugh. “What business would I have blowing up a university? The professors there are some of my best customers.”

“I know you’ll do anything for the right price.” Haruka paused as the woman at Kaori’s feet stood and disappeared out a door in the back. “The police have yet to determine a motive, there’s no suspects… the entire thing is beyond suspicious. I figure if the Death Busters didn’t do it, you might know who did.”

“Sorry, my pet.” Kaori arched an eyebrow in interest. “What do you care about it, anyway?”

“You know why,” Haruka growled between his teeth. 

“Oh, that’s right,” Kaori feigned absent mindedness. “That blue tart with the tight body goes there. How could I forget? What was her name again?”

“Forget it.” Annoyed, Haruka turned to leave. 

Kaori grabbed his forearm. “You’re one of the richest people on the planet. Why don’t you hire a PI if you’re that concerned.” 

“I guess I will.”

“Your people ever learn anything from that asteroid in India?” Kaori asked, seeming genuinely interested in their conversation for the first time. Haruka couldn’t help but wonder what was in it for her. 

“Not really. Seems like NASA scooped up everything that could have been of use.” Haruka thought of Setsuna on the news broadcast that morning, wearing her lab coat and a badge. The grave frown on her beige skin. Haruka had lost himself in her face, almost falling off of his treadmill. 

Then the creature in her safe. Haruka knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that thing had invaded Earth that day. 

“Why don’t you just ask your little tart’s ‘mommy?’”

Haruka tried keeping his expression neutral. He should have realized the day Kaori threw the newspaper at him in her office; Kaori always did her research. Information was Kaori’s most valuable commodity; more valuable than high-end escorts and drugs. 

Of course, Haruka had no idea who Setsuna was at the time. He had no clue Setsuna would have become a person of interest to himself or Kaori. Part of him wanted to try dissuading Kaori from investigating Setsuna. Kaori would do whatever she wanted, in the end, but he felt he should at least try for Michiru’s sake. 

On the other hand, getting to the bottom of Setsuna’s suspect behavior was in Michiru’s best interest as well. Setsuna had put her at risk, keeping that thing in their apartment. The more Haruka thought about the strange woman, the timing of her phone call last night was uncanny as well. 

“I’ve tried. Her lips are sealed. Says her NASA work is strictly confidential.”

“NASA. Sure,” Kaori responded sarcastically before leaning back in her chair. “Someone get over here and take care of this mess on my head!”

Taking that as his unofficial dismissal, Haruka returned his sunglasses to his face. “Thanks anyway. I’ll pay you for any information you find. Just name your price.”

Kaori finished her cigarette. She flicked the burning butt at the woman painting her nails. “You can pay me by taking Mimi off my hands. She’s been all out of sorts since your contract ended. Not good for anything but cleaning the bedsheets she isn’t messing up anymore. What good’s a prostitute who won’t fuck for money?”

Haruka swallowed. Mimi was the only submissive who asked to extend the two-month contract. He had turned her down. Her urgency, will to please, dependency; it was all unnerving to Haruka at the time. 

Besides, that was when he had decided to forego the distracting dalliances that did not get him any closer to his goal. 

“Sorry, but she’s your problem now.” 

“I could have her dye her hair blue!” Kaori called after the tycoon as he exited her private salon. 

**♅**

“I thought we were cooking dinner,” Haruka complained. She stood at her kitchen counter, chopping garlic cloves. 

Sitting on a bench opposite her, Michiru leaned her head on one hand, and with the other she tapped the screen of her new phone. 

The former violinist looked up from her phone with a smoldering grin. “You said you could cook. I say prove it.”

“Shrimp scampi, of all things.” Haruka rolled her eyes at Michiru’s meal request. She added the garlic to the pan where the olive oil and melted butter waited. 

“Mmmm smells good,” Michiru complimented. “Hey, did you see this?”

The chef glanced up as Michiru slid her new cell phone across the counter. Haruka narrowed her eyes as she observed the news article. A photograph of her carrying Michiru, drenched and half-conscious, surrounded by the bombing chaos, graced a New York Times online article. 

“‘Haruka Tenoh Rescues Lover From Mysterious NYU Explosion,’” Haruka read the headline out loud. She continued stirring the ingredients in the saucepan while skimming the article. It began with a paragraph speculating about the nature of their relationship and Michiru’s background. As expected, the article ended on a mysterious note; unable to pinpoint the cause of the calamity. 

“What do you think about that, _lover_?” Michiru asked while retrieving her phone. 

“My PR people have called me about a dozen times today,” Haruka explained with exasperation. “They’ve got it covered.”

“Did you tell the media I’m your lover?” Michiru teased. 

Haruka shook her head and chuckled. The more she tried not to blush, the faster it spread up her neck. “I’m more concerned with the media finding out how easily the billionaire prodigy can be tricked by this new lover into cooking her shrimp scampi.” 

Michiru shot off a quick text to Setsuna and stood. “We can’t have that now, can we? Where’s the linguini?”

Haruka pointed to the top cupboard behind her head. She could not help herself from watching Michiru’s calves flex as she got on her tiptoes to open the polished bocote cupboards. Michiru wore a cotton pajama set; baby blue and relaxed around her curves. 

“Here, let me get that for you.” Haruka leaned over her and easily grabbed the box of pasta from the shelf. Michiru’s playful sneer was not lost to her, but she pretended not to notice. 

“You put it up there on purpose, didn’t you?” Michiru snatched the box and opened it. 

“That’s where Angela always puts it.” Haruka shrugged. 

“Maybe I’ll just go back to watching you.” Michiru wrapped her fingers around Haruka’s arm, effectively making food preparation more difficult. 

The taller woman glanced down, noticing the Pisces constellation necklace sparkling against Michiru’s chest. “I’m glad you like your necklace.”

“I wear it every day,” Michiru replied softly. She leaned her head against Haruka’s shoulder. “Thank you. For what you did on my birthday. I didn’t think you’d want to stick around after that. Then you ordered dinner and, well, it was very sweet of you.”

Haruka poured the uncooked pasta into the boiling water. The weight of Michiru’s head on her arm made cooking difficult, but the warmth after being separated all day soothed the constant ache in her head. 

“Setsuna’s the one keeping secrets, not you. After what I did, I’m the one who should be grateful you didn’t leave.”

Haruka almost jumped out of her skin when Michiru’s fingers crept up her spine. “Speaking of…” the mischievous swimmer whispered, “I can’t play with these elusive breasts of yours if you don’t take off your compression top.”

Haruka gulped. She should have expected Michiru to be a seductress in the kitchen, even when on her period. “Sorry. Habit.”

Trying to ignore Michiru’s hands wandering up her stomach, Haruka began sautéeing the shrimp with exaggerated attentiveness. 

“So, what did you do today?” Haruka cleared her throat. 

“I already told you. Your stylist Andre showed up. Fitted me for my dress. Flattered me for like, half an hour,” Michiru giggled. “He acts like that with all the girls, doesn’t he?”

“No comment.” Haruka suppressed a grin. 

“Does he know you’re a woman?” 

“Of course. How else do you think my suits make me look so masculine?”

Haruka could feel Michiru’s observant eyes dissecting her. “He widens the shoulders, doesn’t he? And opens up the chest to help hide your breasts?”

“Sews some padding into the crotch.” Haruka laughed at her own joke. 

One of Michiru’s hands slipped down the front of Haruka’s pants. Haruka gasped as cool fingers pressed against her silk boxers. 

“Hmm, I don’t feel anything.” Michiru removed her hand as casually as ever. Meanwhile, Haruka was immobilized. 

“Something the matter?” Michiru crossed her arms and looked up at Haruka with an expression that was deceptively, and deliciously, innocent. 

“You mean besides your constant distractions?” Haruka asked after she finally found her breath. “I thought you said you were hungry.”

“Oh, I am.” Michiru opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. 

She did not need to say anything. Haruka knew exactly what Michiru wanted to say. What needed to be said. The short second of forlorn disappointment in her oceanic eyes was enough to surface Haruka’s unrelenting guilt. 

“Michiru, I…” Haruka dropped the spatula. She wrapped her free hands around Michiru’s waist and pressed their foreheads together. This sensation; the tendrils of energy passing between them, it told Haruka everything she needed to know. Why would being with Michiru, holding her, listening to her breathe; why would it feel like destiny if they weren’t meant to be together?

Why couldn’t the woman in her dreams give Haruka a sign? 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. Except… after all this time... I just need to be sure.”

Fingers gently brushed blonde bangs away from Haruka’s face. Michiru’s eyes bore endless adoration and patience; neither of which Haruka felt she deserved. 

“I’d wait an entire lifetime for you, silly.”

“Why?” Haruka found herself asking. Her status. Her money. The two things she assumed were the only reasons anyone would want to be with her did not even cross her mind as potential reasons Michiru wanted to be with her. The young artist could not be less interested in superficial things like wealth and popularity. 

No, Michiru’s concerns focused on less quantifiable, but more meaningful, connections. 

“Because I already know who you are. And we’re destined to be together.”

Haruka envied Michiru’s confidence. When Michiru brought their lips together in a smoldering kiss that dared Haruka to question her judgment. 

Haruka couldn’t question anything. Not when she had Michiru in her arms and their lips were dancing their special waltz together. 

“Am I wrong?” Michiru’s gasp gave Haruka’s frigid chills. She sank into them, falling further into the deep seas hidden within those cerulean eyes. 

“This might be the only time I can say no to you,” Haruka chuckled. 

Michiru clicked her tongue before turning in Haruka’s arms to turn the stovetop off. “Make me a salad?”

“Of course.” Haruka kissed Michiru’s forehead. Despite all the submissives she’d had over the years, this was the first time Haruka had shared a moment like this with anyone; simple, domestic bliss. 

A fulfilled smile spread across Haruka’s face. “I could get used to this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chill chapter after the hectic events of Chapter 13. I guess the only 50 Shades references here would be the nod to previous subs and the cute domestic kitchen scene at the end.


	15. Nine To Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru livens up Haruka's day at the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JurisLadyAnna requested office sex, so... here it is! 
> 
> Two things 50 Shades dropped the ball on that I wanted to "address:"
> 
> 1.) No sex in Christian's office? Really? Who doesn't have an office sex fantasy? Completely missed opportunity.  
> 2.) A certain BDSM tool that he "demonstrates" to her in the movie but (IIRC) they never actually use. Well, it's getting used now.
> 
> This is mainly a smut chapter. If you're looking for plot development, you won't find it here.

**♆**

_“I guess we won’t be needing these anymore,” she says while removing her burnt red blazer._

_I watch the fabric slide from her shoulders and arms. Without the shoulderpads, her feminine truth is easily revealed. A transparent, white button-up shirt accentuated with a striped Mugen Academy tie veils the feminine curves and breasts I know are hiding beneath._

_“That’s right,” I reply into her shadow, casting a silhouette against the window of our apartment._

_“So,” she starts, almost nervous, “the next phase begins.”_

_I slide the plaid bow out from beneath my collar. She is unbearably, achingly handsome as a male student. Paradoxically, she is the most attractive woman I have laid eyes upon as well._

_Hundreds, thousands of years I have loved her. Our time together spans planets and generations. After the hardships and battles we have faced, she still had not opened up to me in the way I have been pining for since I laid eyes on her; in this lifetime, and every lifetime before._

_“Yes.”_

_Memories guiding me, I sidle up against her._

_“Wh-what?” she asks, intimidated by my presence. I normally don’t dare to stand this close to her, unless I am adjusting her tie or fixing her collar, for fear of what I might do._

_Pressing concerns like the fate of the galaxy weigh heavily on us, without end. My selfishness for finding endless distractions with her crooked grin or her unruly bangs brushing against her eyelids, or the rouge that paints her cheek when I stare at her too intensely, is obvious to me._

_And yet, I cannot stop myself from thinking that, as a soldier of love and justice, we deserve them both._

_“It’s a shame you won’t be wearing this again. You are so charming in this uniform.” I stroke the polyester blend. “I suppose the girls will stop flirting with you now.”_

_“Does that make you jealous?”_

_This game of ours, another passive-aggressive way to ignore the sexual tension between us, grew stale for me long ago. Not because Haruka won by kissing her. But because she doesn’t realize she’s won._

_“I’ll tell you what makes me jealous.” I close the space between us._

_The verdant and ebony tie is within my grasp. The tie that, for more times than I care to count, I’ve fantasized about using as leverage to pull her into a kiss._

_Maybe it’s the lingering dregs of adrenaline from our most recent battle. Or, most likely, it’s the unrelenting throbbing in my loins last night’s dream inflicted. But for whatever reason, today, I decide I’m done flirting and fantasizing._

_I grab the tie and yank her down. Eyes level and heart racing. I’m a breath away from finally having her._

_Haruka is flustered. Then again, she is always flustered whenever I act as something more than a battle comrade. My unsubtle glare and flashing of teeth tell Haruka I’m not letting her run away this time._

_“I’m jealous of your ability to be completely oblivious of how you torture me. Every… single… day.” My finger taps against her nose in tandem with the last three words._

_Haruka swallows hard. “Oh. Um… well, I’d hate for you to be jealous.”_

_“Good. Because either way, I’m tired of waiting.”_

_I pull her closer. Without rushing, giving her ample time to flee if she truly does not want this. Flighty as she is with matters not relating to our mission, I half expect her to turn away while muttering half-hearted excuses._

_I smell her adrenaline. The anticipation. The excitement. The fear._

_At long last, I am kissing her. My lover of lifetimes. My eternal partner._

_My lips part hers. They remain frozen. Her body is rigid against mine. I begin to think this is the moment when she will ride the winds away from this and everything we should be._

_Then her entire demeanor changes._

_Haruka’s hands are tangled in my hair. Storms and seduction wrestle for possession of my mouth. I am lost, so lost in our passionate kiss, that I don’t feel her pressing me against the wall. I don’t recall her lifting me from the floor, hiking up my skirt before my legs are wrapped around her waist and my hands are clenching her neck._

_“Michiru,” her voice is strained, laced with desire so thick I can taste it._

_Months of longing are finally validated. I sink into her strong arms, not wavering in the slightest as she holds me up. I could kiss her forever if it weren’t for her hands on my thighs reminding me of more pressing concerns._

_“If you won’t be wearing this ever again…” My hands are already making quick work of her tie. “Then may I have the honor of taking it off?”_

**♆**

After double checking the contents of her purse and straightening her umber top, Michiru approached the reception desk. Working behind the tall ebony counter was the same receptionist who greeted her the fateful afternoon she came for her internship interview. 

If the brunette recognized her, she did not say. Her eyes flitted across Michiru’s outfit. Practiced, strained decorum kept the office worker from commenting, but Michiru detected the split second of surprise flash behind her eyes. 

“Good afternoon and welcome to Tenoh Corporate Headquarters. How can I help you?”

“Could you please tell Mr. Tenoh that Michiru Kaiou is here to see him?” Michiru implored in an equally pleasant and robotic tone. 

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked while referencing the computer monitor hidden beneath the marble counter. 

“No.” Michiru’s expression remained level as the receptionist arched a thin eyebrow. Mr. Tenoh did not see people without appointments, that much was clear by her reaction. Michiru waited while the receptionist picked up a receiver and dialed into his office. 

“Mr. Tenoh? A Ms. Kaiou is here to see you? I don’t see her on your agenda for today.” A pause. The receptionist forced a smile, “Yes, sir.”

The receptionist returned the phone receiver. After a few seconds of listening to her fingers work against the keyboard, Michiru accepted her visitor’s badge.

“Thank you.” Michiru took the lanyard. 

“Mr. Tenoh said you can show yourself to his office?” 

“Yes. Thank you.” Michiru remained cordial, in spite of the bewildered expression on the host’s face. After slipping the pass around her neck, she strolled through the lobby toward the elevator. 

The framed magazine covers featuring Haruka stared at her while she waited for the elevator. Before, Haruka was a billionaire stranger she was anxious just to survive an interview with. The pictures were an homage to a business and pop culture icon that, though she found handsome, she never anticipated having more than one conversation, let alone a relationship, with. 

Michiru was also a little ashamed. She had a lot of unfounded assumptions about Haruka before getting to know the tycoon. To her pleasant surprise, Haruka was much more than the one-dimensional, out of touch one-percenter she had erroneously assumed. 

The elevator dinged and slid open. Two men in suits emerged, startling when they noticed her and the outfit she was wearing. One cleared his throat and looked to his feet, while the other took sudden interest in the ceiling. 

Michiru smiled in satisfaction. The alterations were perfect. 

She entered the elevator alone and rode it to the seventh floor. During the short ride, she considered what she might do if her outlandish, inappropriate idea backfired. Haruka might shut down the preposterous notion and send her away. 

The last time they were together, Michiru could not contain the emotional rush succeeding her orgasm. Haruka made love to her in the Skyloft. Thanks to the haunting, desperate visions and the trauma she’d suffered that day, Michiru was unable to contain the tears that poured from her eyes. Haruka was nothing but understanding, and did not pressure her for answers. But since that night, Haruka’s stares lacked the seductive hunger Michiru craved. 

Taking a deep breath, she exited the elevator and approached the closed door. The decorated knobs gave her pause. 

That symbol. Uranus. 

Setsuna’s half-conscious ramblings played on repeat in Michiru’s mind since that night. The planet name reverberated louder now, incessantly pounding until she concealed the symbol with her hands. Finding the double doors unlocked, Michiru let herself in.

Haruka was sitting behind an impressive desk, the speaker on the phone blaring a dull conference call. Haruka was dressed the same as always whenever leaving the house: breasts bound, hair expertly tousled, an overpriced suit granting the illusion of wider shoulders and a narrower waist. Despite her outwardly masculine appearance, Michiru felt predominantly feminine energy emanating from her today. Whether it was the softness in her eyes or the fullness in her lips, she wasn’t sure. 

Michiru smiled smugly to herself; Haruka was a man to everyone in the world, except for her. 

Haruka’s long, dextrous fingers were flipping a gold and navy blue felt tip pen. If she let herself, Michiru could get lost in visions about what those fingers have done. They were as equally gentle and powerful as she imagined them the day they met. 

Hearing the doors open, Haruka looked up from the monitor directly into her eyes. Their shared electricity and adoration lasted for a brief moment until Haruka noticed Michiru’s outfit. 

Haruka’s bottom jaw practically fell to the desk. Michiru’s eyes slanted. Without breaking eye contact, she locked the door behind her and approached the desk. 

Haruka rushed to press a button on the phone. “Michiru? What are you doing here? I thought you had class.”

“Cancelled. Professor’s sick.” Michiru did not stop her slow gait. Her eyes remained on the prize, who became disheveled beneath Michiru’s unabashed stare. 

“Oh. Where did you get that uniform?” Haruka winced, as if in pain. She stood, bowing her head while Michiru answered. 

“This was my uniform during my senior year of high school.” Michiru dropped her purse onto the desk. 

Cropped locks shook as Haruka regained composure. “You wore… that? To school?” 

Michiru and the entity inside of her purred in sync as Haruka’s eyes traveled from her pronounced cleavage down to the immodestly short skirt. 

“When Andre measured me for my masquerade gown, I gave him something else to do.” Michiru closed the gap between them. Her lips found a bare spot on Haruka’s neck, just beneath her ear. 

“M-Michiru.” Haruka’s shoulders tried shrugging off the chills shooting up her neck. “I’m working.” 

“Mhmm.” Michiru shoved Haruka down into the chair behind her. In one deft motion she propped herself onto the desk and rest a foot on each armrest, effectively trapping Haruka. “If you can look me in the eye and tell me you’ve never fantasized about doing this, here, during your nine to five grind, then… I’ll leave.”

Haruka’s eyes glanced at the desk phone. A woman with a heavy British accent droned on, citing numbers and stock trends. Then she looked back at Michiru. Her expression remained stoic and professional as ever, but her fingers walked up the length of Michiru’s legs. The black lace stockings Michiru wore tickled her skin beneath the slight pressure Haruka’s fingertips applied. 

“You’re trouble,” Haruka growled in an erotic, approving tone. 

Leaning back on the wide desk, Michiru reached a hand into her purse. “I haven’t shown you what I brought with me.”

Haruka curled the top of a stocking down, trailing kisses down the length of her calf. “What did you do?”

MIchiru giggled. “I brought a couple of toys from the Skyloft I want to try.” 

Haruka’s eyes turned from her pale legs to the two objects she removed from her purse. First was a red velvet box, which Michiru handed to Haruka with a muted smile. The tycoon opened the jewelry box and blanched. 

Michiru didn’t think she would ever get enough of Haruka’s surprised, bashful face. 

“Japanese clover clamps? Are you sure?” 

Michiru leaned forward. Her cerulean eyes traveled down to the breasts hiding beneath Haruka’s clothing. “Very.” 

After gaining permission, Haruka’s demeanor changed. The practiced, dormant dominant returned. After removing the silver clamps, connected by a matching chain from their case, Haruka reverently placed them aside. She stood in her cage between Michiru’s legs and fed Michiru the burning fire she missed. 

Michiru was swept into the torrent before it began. Haruka wrapped her inside her arms, swallowing every whimper and moan before it could find the air. The striped green bowtie of her uniform fell away, further revealing the cleavage poking out from the altered top. 

Haruka looked down and shook her head. “Andre…” 

“What’s the matter? Don’t like it?” Michiru breathlessly asked. Haruka’s lips followed her hands as she unfastened the buttons holding the copper shirt in place. 

Haruka nipped at the plump flesh, causing Michiru to arch her back. “You have an accomplice now. That can’t bode well for me.”

Michiru hummed as Haruka used one arm to pull her into a sitting position and the other to yank the opened shirt from her arms. 

“Don’t fire him. It was my idea,” Michiru countered playfully. Haruka, too distracted by the way her breasts filled her teal bra, said nothing. Her mouth sank, tasting eager flesh. Michiru felt the clasps of her bra fall away. 

“Are you going to be quiet?” As if to challenge Michiru’s resolve, teeth grazed across the rosy skin of her areola. 

“Nngh…” Michiru leaned into Haruka, further filling her mouth. 

“Don’t forget your safe word if you need it,” Haruka whispered before pinching the opposite nipple between her fingers. 

Her safe word was one of the furthest things from her mind. Knowing Haruka wouldn’t progress any further until she agreed, Michiru nodded. Her thighs clamped Haruka into place. 

Haruka chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” she said as if reading Michiru’s mind. 

Teeth grit, Michiru nodded. She knew, both immediately and somehow indefinitely, Haruka was not going anywhere. She was secure and safe here, enveloped in her arms. Michiru’s mind threatened to wander until Haruka began tending to her breasts.

Pleasure shook her in electric bolts. From her nipples to her center, with every lick and pinch her nervous system was experiencing delectable overload. All the heat in her body migrated to her chest. Haruka ensured she was hyper-sensitive and aware where it counted for what was to come. 

In a fog, Michiru watched Haruka take a metallic clamp in each hand. Her bare breasts were unbearably aroused. Thanks to Haruka’s skilled mouth and hands, her rosy nipples were pert and ready. Michiru was beyond anxious to discover how much she could handle. 

With utmost care, Haruka pinched most of an areola between her fingers. The warm fingers were soon replaced by cold, metallic pincers. The change in pressure and spike in pain made Michiru’s toes curl. 

“Oh my God,” she sharply inhaled. 

The rush of adrenaline mingling with endorphins was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was leagues more sudden and intense than the erotic spanking. Sharp, invigorating shocks gripped her nipple and rocked her senses. 

Michiru threw her head back. She felt Haruka’s eyes on her, observing, making sure she was alright before continuing. 

The second breast followed. Unforgiving clamps claimed her nipple, now dark and full of rushing blood. 

Vision white and eardrums pounding, Michiru heave a sigh of relief when Haruka drew her upper body into hers. 

“You are… amazing,” Haruka muttered before clashing their lips together. The kiss was hot and fervent and wet. Michiru used it as a focal point; channeling all of the pain into Haruka’s mouth. Michiru yelped when Haruka pressed their chests together. The clamps and chain rubbed against Haruka’s shirt, creating delicious pain that fueled her arousal. 

“Ah, Ruka!” Michiru cried out when teeth sank into her neck. Her hands scrambled to keep her upright. Pens and paper scattered across the desk, but neither of the lovers paid the mess any mind. The bites she received made Michiru shudder. 

Legs weakening, she cinched Haruka’s waist between them. Without stopping her mouth, Haruka clenched a breast with one hand. 

“Some more?” Haruka hoarsely asked. Michiru did not understand the question. Then, the pincers squeezing one of her nipples became tighter. 

Michiru was reduced to panting and mumbling, unable to find the words to beg for Haruka to finish her. Haruka tightened the opposite clamp, and she couldn’t help herself. With nowhere else to channel her sexual frustration, she cried out. 

“Shhh.” Haruka smothered her parted lips. Despite the admonishing tone, there was a crooked smile on her lips. 

Michiru groaned. She was not amused. She was aroused, sore, and on the brink of coming all over Haruka’s desk. Unable to speak, she extended her shaking arm towards her purse. 

“Oh, right. Your bag of tricks.” Haruka arched an eyebrow when she realized what Michiru was trying to do. 

She leaned over and retrieved the other box Michiru smuggled into the office. Anticipation drowned the artist as she waited for Haruka to open the small, rectangular container holding the bullet she selected. The toy was four inches long, violet, and smooth to the touch. While exploring in the Skyloft earlier that day, Michiru sampled all five of its settings against her fingertips. While looking at the bullet and Haruka’s bemused expression, she doubted she would last beyond the first. 

Haruka pushed the desk phone further away before spreading Michiru’s legs. The plaid skirt fell away, replaced by a gust of cool air. Michiru suppressed a groan. First the exposure, then Haruka’s palm pressed against her bare sex, made the seductress all the more eager for release. 

“You…” Haruka’s two longest fingers prodded her slick opening. Haruka shook her head when she realized Michiru was not wearing any panties. “You’re trouble.”

“You said that already,” Michiru tried teasing back, but there was no bite to her voice. There was only desperation. 

“It bears repeating.” Haruka turned the bullet on. Michiru heard the small device’s hum, finding her throat mimicking the sound. 

Michiru inhaled sharply when Haruka pressed the vibrating tip against her engorged sex. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from crying out again. Haruka knew what she wanted, and Michiru half-expected to be mercilessly teased. 

“Ruka, please…” Michiru groaned as the bullet worked circles around her clit. Haruka found the hidden bud without delay. The thrumming vibrations coursed through her nerves, reminding her of the dull pain spreading across her chest. 

“God, you’re so wet,” Haruka’s bemused expression transformed into a hooded, seductive gaze that almost made Michiru come into her hand. Haruka’s face dipped to her breasts. With clamps still intact, Haruka sucked hard on her tender nipple. The bullet circled Michiru’s clit faster. 

Haruka’s hunger. Her aggression. Her desire for Michiru’s release and the unnatural way she’d known from the very beginning how to make Michiru a helpless puddle in her arms, almost won out. 

Michiru grit her teeth. She considered holding her orgasm in longer. To make Haruka work for it. To make the CEO wonder and fluster at the thought of someone knocking on the door. 

Another minute, she told herself, even as her limbs were jelly and she whimpered for reprieve. Her hips rocked against Haruka and the toy, which was now thrusting inside of her. 

The minute never came. Michiru only lasted a few more seconds, thanks to Haruka yanking a clamp away with her teeth. 

Passion and pain sprouted from her sex, spreading their roots through her addled mind. Her elbows hit the desk hard as she lost control. She called out for Haruka again, unable to stop herself from vocalizing the pleasure pouring from her. 

Michiru’s thighs were slick and her skirt soaked, but she was in no state to care. Haruka did not admonish her cries. Lost in their shared passion, she moaned against Michiru’s breast while submerging the soaked bullet inside of her. 

The first wave was not completely over before Haruka made her come again. The second nipple clamp came away; a sharp snap at the beckoning of Haruka’s teeth. 

The second rush began. Michiru’s entire body quivered. The second orgasm, somehow more powerful than the first, shook her body. Endorphins and oxytocin formed a potent cocktail, combining pain and pleasure into a satisfying experience she could never have imagined existed. Michiru’s vision went white. Her body was somehow light as a feather and sinking through the ground at the same time. 

Before Michiru could collapse backwards, Haruka held her upright. Sitting on the desk, head cradled beneath Haruka’s chin, she closed her eyes and basked in the aftershocks of her confused, but very fulfilled, body. 

“Are you sore?” Haruka asked above the murmur of the conference call. 

Head heavy and throat raw, Michiru was unable to shake her head. “Just tender… I feel… amazing.”

“You are amazing.”

“You already said that,” Michiru playfully countered. 

“It bears repeating.” Haruka pulled Michiru away enough to look her over. With a gentle smile, she bowed her head to inspect, then kiss, Michiru’s sore breasts. 

“I’ve missed you,” Michiru purred while reaching for Haruka’s face. “That look you get. Like you want to devour me... It’s been too long.”

Haruka chuckled. “You were having your period. It’s only been five days.”

“How am I going to survive if you go away on business trips for longer than that?” 

Haruka held the bullet up between them. “Something tells me you’ll survive.”

Lightheaded, Michiru could only giggle a response. She flung her limp arms over Haruka’s shoulder, silently asking for a kiss. The billionaire obliged without hesitation. 

“You know what else bears repeating?” Haruka whispered while staring down into her eyes. 

The serious, devoted glint in those stormy grey eyes sent tendrils of arousal spiraling through Michiru once more. “Hmm… No, what?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”


	16. The Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka accompanies Michiru to her fundraiser event.

**♅**

Shirt half-buttoned and tie slung around her neck, Haruka decided she couldn’t wait any longer to help Michiru get ready for the charity auction. Double-checking that the items were in her pockets, she kept one hand buried deep inside one while the other fist knocked on Michiru’s closed bedroom door. 

It was a bedroom in name, only. Michiru never actually used the bed; they had shared Haruka’s since she first moved in. It was more of a storage room for Michiru’s personal belongings. The college student had moved most of her impressive wardrobe into the walk-in closet, which Haruka noticed was her favorite part of the room. 

“Come in,” Michiru’s voice called from inside. 

Haruka let herself in and shut the door behind her. An easel with a blank canvas sat in a corner. Art supplies were scattered amongst makeup on the dresser. The king-sized bed with crisply folded and tucked azure sheets was bare except for Varius, repaired and ready to be auctioned to the highest bidder, resting in its case. 

Michiru was sitting in front of the vanity, patiently enduring Andre’s hands brushing, pinning, and spraying her hair. Andre, Haruka’s personal stylist, was a tall, tan man with attitude and flair for days. Comb in one hand, hairspray in the other, and bobby pins between his teeth, he muttered something that made Michiru grin. 

Andre had worked for Haruka for three years. Given the nature of his position, he was one of the handful of staff who knew Haruka’s true nature. He signed the non-disclosure agreement as a condition of hire without so much as batting his false eyelashes. Being part of the city’s LGBTQ community, he claimed there were more people than one might think in similar situations as hers. Haruka would have contributed his discretion to the handsome salary she paid him, but Andre never divulged information about his closeted acquaintances who weren’t billionaires, either. 

Haruka stood in the entrance, observing Michiru’s poised grace with a grateful smile. Michiru wore a creamy satin chemise over her naked body, makeup on her face, and nothing else as far as Haruka could tell. She found herself staring at the aquamarine goddess, wondering for the hundredth time that month what she had done to deserve Michiru’s perfect light in her life. 

“Ya gonna stand there all day? Or congratulate me on this flawless masterpiece?” Andre asked through clenched teeth. The bobby pins sticking out from his lips wobbled as he spoke. 

Michiru, who watched him in the mirror, arched an eyebrow. Haruka knew she found Andre’s casual demeanor with her amusing and refreshing. No one else spoke to the billionaire CEO with such sass. 

Except Michiru, of course.

“I’d rather wait until laying eyes on the finished product,” Haruka responded with a chuckle. She entered the room, not concerned with him seeing the compression top beneath her unbuttoned shirt. 

“Oh, just wait until you see this bangin’ bod in the dress I designed!”

Haruka rolled her eyes. Andre was anything but humble. He plugged his nose and applied another cloud of hairspray to the elaborate updo. Michiru’s teal locks were pulled back from her face, all save for a few meticulously chosen strands, which curled down the side of her cheeks. Andre wove the strands amongst each other, accentuating them with aquamarine gemstones. From their pinned position at the back of Michiru’s head, the waves of her hair flowed freely about her shoulders. 

“Cat got your tongue?” Michiru asked when she caught Haruka staring, speechless. 

Haruka leveled her a glare that she hoped came off as more seductive than lovestruck, before turning to Andre. “Could I have a moment alone with Michiru before she gets dressed?”

“You the boss. Just don’t be messin’ with this immaculate creation I got goin’ on here.” Andre circled his hands a safe distance around Michiru’s head. 

“I won’t,” Haruka promised, only because she knew he would not leave them alone otherwise. 

“I’ll be right back, girlfriend,” Andre patted Michiru’s bare shoulder. The stylist shuffled out of the room, winking at Haruka as he shut the door. 

“I like him.” Michiru swung in her chair to look at Haruka.

Haruka forgot to breathe as she gazed upon Michiru’s ethereal splendor. Andre applied her makeup in a way that enhanced every gorgeous feature of her face. The foundation was light, for Michiru’s flawless skin needed little uniforming. The shadow accentuating her eyes began as a thin, dark line of ocean trenches, fading to sunlight reflecting from the ocean’s surface just below her eyebrows. Andre coated her entire face in subtle sparkles that were reminiscent of silver moonlight. 

When Haruka refrained from answering, Michiru stood from her perch at the mirror and waltzed over to her. Realizing she had lost her composure for the second time already, Haruka cleared her throat while two arms snaked around her neck. 

“What did you need me alone for?” Michiru made no presumptions about hiding her lascivious intentions.

Haruka’s nerve shriveled in Michiru’s presence. She became acutely aware of the thin layer of satin unsuccessfully shrouding Michiru’s nipples. Keeping her hands firmly in her pockets, she forced a quick glance at the bed. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Haruka’s collar was still unbuttoned, yet she somehow felt hot beneath it. 

Michiru’s fingernails combed through the short hairs at the base of her neck. Shivers danced along her spine. 

“Do what?” 

“Sell Varius.” 

“Setsuna was right. I need to let go. I’m done letting it control me. And Varius is, well, a relic of the past. I’d rather sell it to a cause I believe in.” Michiru gazed upon her old instrument with mixed affection and nostalgia. “Besides… If I’m ever going to play again, I can’t very well play a child’s violin.”

“Do you think you want to? Play again, I mean.” Haruka’s heart ached for Michiru. She wondered what painful memories the former musician was reliving.

“I don’t know…” Michiru closed her eyes, mesmerizing Haruka with her glistening eye shadow. “I can’t think of any excuses that don’t sound cowardly.”

Haruka finally freed her hands, resting them on Michiru’s shoulder. “You aren’t a coward. You’re a young woman trying to find your way after a tragic loss. There’s no shame in that.”

“I guess not.” Teal eyebrows furrowed. Michiru appeared to be contemplating speaking something on her mind, but shrugged instead. “Anyway, this isn’t a conversation that warranted kicking Andre out.” 

Haruka chuckled. “You caught me.”

She seized up. The recurring bashfulness took over, clenching her throat and making her palms damp. 

Graceful, patient, and observant as ever, Michiru smiled and slid her hands down the front of Haruka’s partially buttoned shirt. “Does it have anything to do with whatever you’ve been playing with in your pockets this entire time?”

Maybe Michiru was too observant, Haruka inwardly mused. “Umm… I brought these… that you were looking at the other day.”

Michiru’s hands slid into her pockets. Haruka felt each finger inside the pockets, digging for treasure. Rouge-painted lips pursed when she found her prize. “What did you bring me?” 

Her eyes glittered. She already knew, Haruka assumed, by the sheer anticipation in her irresistible smile. 

“An accessory.” Haruka recalled their conversation over the contract weeks ago. She had only met Michiru scarcely over a month ago. That particular night could have been yesterday, or it could have been eons ago. Time, when they were together, was a formless construct, concave and convex, turning in and around itself. When in Michiru’s presence, Haruka sometimes forgot what lifetime she was in.

“Hmm…” Michiru slipped both items from Haruka’s pockets. In her left hand was a small bottle that Haruka knew to be lubricant. Michiru stared at it curiously. It was unlabeled, and a mystery to her. 

The other hand contained a transparent glass case containing a pair of kegel balls. Unbeknownst to Michiru, theses were not ordinary ben wa balls. “Oh.”

“Have you ever used these before?” Haruka took the items from her hands. 

“No. But I know what they are. Is that lube?”

Haruka unscrewed the top of the bottle. She covered the open neck with her fingertips, tipping it over to lightly coat them.

Michiru’s eyes darkened in anticipation. 

Instead of answering the question, Haruka rubbed her wet fingertips together and growled. “Bend over.” 

Michiru inhaled sharply before obeying the order. She turned and leaned forward, using the armrest of her chair for support. Her short chemise tickled the curves of her bottom, not leaving much to the imagination. Haruka didn’t need her imagination; she had committed every inch of Michiru’s pristine body to memory weeks ago. 

With Michiru’s piercing gaze facing the opposite direction, Haruka found her confidence once more. She took her time coating the kegels with the lubricant, letting Michiru soak in excitement and wonder while she prepared. The cold metal turned warm and slick, ready to be inserted. 

Michiru played the game better than anyone. She turned and cast a salacious glare at Haruka. No words were shared between them. Her loaded, smoldering gaze was enough to propel Haruka into action. Stepping forward, Haruka gripped Michiru’s hip in one hand. The other hand, slick with lubricant, snuck beneath the material’s short flap. Michiru, ever the tease, was still not wearing panties. 

Haruka could not help but wonder how much of this she anticipated and planned. The notion pleased and excited her. A sudden bolt of electricity shot through her when her fingers tickled Michiru’s entrance from behind. 

“Spread your legs,” Haruka whispered, careful not to alert Andre or any of the other house staff. Haruka was tempted to hike her slip over her apple bottom. Deciding against it, since she was already struggling with controlling herself, she simply let instinct guide her fingers to her goal. 

Haruka slipped two lubricated fingers inside Michiru’s center. Heat and eager muscles welcomed her. A throaty groan escaped Michiru’s mouth as her back arched in response, pressing her bottom against Haruka’s navel. Haruka kept the hand holding Michiru’s pelvic bone firmly in place, enjoying the weight pressed against her, anchoring Michiru for what was to come. 

The temptation to take Michiru here and now was palpable and intoxicating. Haruka flirted with the idea; forking her two fingers inside of Michiru, circling and thrusting them… just enough to make her moist and uncomfortable. 

Haruka grimaced. The physical exertion and willpower she practiced to stop from giving Michiru the release she wanted was torturous. 

Delayed gratification, she told herself while positioning the first kegel outside of Michiru’s dripping sex. 

After Michiru had carried these around inside of herself for hours while socializing, dancing, and maintaining the picturesque professionalism she was known for... And after Haruka had toyed with her by changing the vibration setting via the app on her cellular phone… Only then did Haruka plan to bestow the release she would desperately need.

“Ruka…” Michiru groaned when the teasing had begun to take its toll. She wiggled her butt against Haruka’s waist, but she refused to give in. 

“I’ll be taking these out… When it’s time,” Haruka spoke with the dominance she often forgot existed when she was with Michiru.

Michiru looked over her shoulder, daring and excited. “Hurry.” 

Haruka wasn’t going to hurry, but she wasn’t going to delay anymore, either. With utmost care, she slid the first metallic sphere into Michiru. There was resistance, at first. Once it passed the initial threshold, Haruka removed her fingers and sighed. The noises eliciting from Michiru’s throat were nothing short of pure ecstasy; a cadence not belonging to this world. 

The second kegel soon followed. Haruka delighted in the sensation of Michiru’s muscles constricting her fingers, trying to keep her inside for as long as possible. Gritting her teeth, Haruka released her hold on Michiru’s hip and playfully slapped her bottom. 

Her hand hovered over her cell phone, but Haruka decided to wait until they were at the charity gala.

Michiru stood to her full height and turned around. Her eyes narrowed and her hips rocked as she adjusted to the weight of the balls resting against her pelvic floor. Without a word, she reached up and began buttoning Haruka’s dress shirt. 

“Oh, you’ll know when it’s time.”

**♅**

Haruka had never seen the gallery this packed before. The exhibit was overwhelmed with more people and art than he would have thought could fit in its hallways and galleries. College students, professors, and wealthy alumni crowded the building with chatter and laughter. He stood with Varius’ case in one hand, observing the decorations Michiru and her classmates set up the previous evening. 

Michiru, who took no time claiming his arm when they exited the Lamborghini Joshua dropped them off in, had insisted they arrive over an hour early to the event. She was the president of the Fine Arts Club, after all, and it was her duty to ensure everything went off without a hitch. 

“We can’t forget the most important part of a masquerade dance,” Michiru said while digging into her purse. As expected, she procured two masks. 

Haruka froze as Michiru handed over his mask. It was gold, with wings sprouting from each eye. 

Haruka remained petrified, watching as his date put the handmade mask over her face. 

It was an exact replica. The same blue-green waves, seashells, and coral reefs decorated her face as the woman in Haruka’s dreams. 

“What’s wrong?” Haruka heard her ask above the pounding in his ears. 

“Nothing.” Haruka closed his agape mouth and shook his head. The lie didn’t fool Michiru, of course, observant and intelligent as she was. Her head tilted while he stared at her, swimming in the shallow depths between reality and the dream realm. 

Michiru reached her arms up to put Haruka’s mask on. He bent his head down, feeling the elastic snap against the back of his head. 

“You look so handsome.” The immaculate, silvery sheen of Michiru’s curves, pressed against the length of his body. 

“You are a dream,” Haruka answered. Michiru was an exact replica of her; the enigmatic, charged, aquatic woman plaguing him almost nightly. 

No, not a replica. She was the vision made flesh. 

“Oh. Looks like Setsuna is coming. With a date… sort of.” Michiru spoke as she looked at her cell phone. 

Haruka swallowed his insanity and shook his head. If anything could return him to the present, it was Michiru’s serene voice. “Sort of?”

“She’s bringing Ms. Hino with her.” Michiru frowned and buried her phone back in her purse. 

Haruka observed the participants wearing over-the-top ball dresses and masks of variegated colors. He snapped to attention at the thought of Rei Hino: the woman made of fire, wearing a mask of flames over a preternatural stare. 

“Do you think—?”

“No, no.” Michiru shook her head. “Setsuna’s always been a loner… it’s hard to imagine her with anyone. I think she wanted to come support me, but didn’t want to leave her house guest alone and bored.” 

“Hmm,” Haruka commented noncommittally as they entered the gallery. They waited in line to sign the logbook. Haruka studied the hanging artwork, noticing it was different than the last time he was here. 

“My contributed piece is further in,” Michiru whispered in Haruka’s ear. He shook his head, struggling to remain anchored in the present. 

“Do you want to sign?” She offered the felt-tipped pen. The subtle static in her fingertips while she passed the writing utensil jarred him. 

“Sure.” Haruka signed with his signature, “HTH,” before Michiru lead him further in. 

“I want to show you my painting before too many people figure out who you are,” Michiru murmured as they passed through a decorated hallway. Her eyes scanned the small clusters of people. 

Michiru was right; they were already on the receiving end of curious glances and hushed whispers. Haruka noticed the same university journalist that questioned him during the showing, but she was mercifully preoccupied for the time being. 

“Here it is.” Michiru stood beside a twenty by twenty four-inch canvas hanging on the wall. The colorful painting, strokes of blues and yellows, triggered the pins and needles behind his forehead to commence their relentless stabbing. 

“It’s… Is it me?” Haruka forced the question. Not Haruka as he was now. Himself in the dream, wearing the navy suit cluttered with pins and medals. Wearing the mask he couldn’t see while dancing with her, but innately knowing its composition. The mask in the painting, the mask he wore now, and the mask in his recurring dream were one in the same. 

“Perhaps.” Michiru’s tease barely registered in Haruka’s ringing ears. He hated to turn away, but the longer he stared the more concentrated the pain became. 

“Michiru!” A voice called out from Haruka’s left. He heard his date groan as the source approached. 

A tall young woman wearing a scarlett, sleeveless dress and a white fur shawl, approached with as much urgency as her heels would allow. Her mask was simple; sparkling white sequins with crimson motes scattered throughout it. 

Haruka winced. All of the masks were making his headache worse. 

“Hello Elizabeth,” Michiru answered with a cool, detached tone that gave Haruka chills. “Haruka, this is Elizabeth Morris. Vice President of the Fine Arts club. Elizabeth, this is Haruka Tenoh. I doubt further introductions are necessary.”

“Who doesn’t know about Mr. Tenoh?” the tall blond giggled flirtatiously. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet the owner of the gallery!”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Haruka replied dutifully before bending to kiss the back of her hand. The small bowing of his head multiplied the pain in his skull. Haruka hated to leave a bad first impression, and flirting with women was an ingrained habit of his, but he could only manage the basic niceties. 

“Elizabeth and I should see to the last minute preparations,” Michiru interceded. She slipped herself between Haruka and her classmate. 

Haruka arched an eyebrow with amusement. Was Michiru jealous? 

“But Michiru—“ Elizabeth began. Michiru had already snatched Varius from Haruka’s hold and had dragged her classmate halfway across the room. 

“I’ll come find you when we’re done,” Michiru waved while practically shoving Elizabeth away. 

Left alone, Haruka decided to salvage the peace and quiet before a reporter or acquaintance inevitably located him. Once Michiru and her classmate were out of sight, Haruka retrieved his cell phone. He opened the app associated with the kegels, and decided it was time to further aggravate his lover. 

Haruka browsed the vibrator setting options for the balls. Each ball had its own setting, meaning he could have one pulsing while the other was on a low thrum. With a smug grin, he set one ball to a steady, intense vibration, and placed the second on a teasing murmur.

He wished he could witness Michiru’s reaction to the kegels suddenly vibrating inside of her. His imagination would have to do for now. 

After sneaking one last glance at the painting of himself, or Michiru’s Sky Warrior, he decided to get water at the bar. 

As he walked through the busy gallery, he kept his gaze low. Maintaining eye contact invited conversation, and his headache would make the chore more troublesome than usual. The further Michiru walked away from him, the more acute the stabbing pains in his head became. 

A masked bartender recognized him and took his order ahead of about a dozen people. Normally Haruka would have turned down the offer. He hated being treated differently, as though his time was worth more than others because he was wealthy. Thanks to the headache pounding behind his eyeballs, he conceded and took a glass of lemon water. Haruka wanted nothing more than to hide in a corner until Michiru could save him. 

“Hello, my pet,” a sultry voice resonated above the dull roar. 

Haruka blinked. Kaori Kuromine was standing in his path. Vermillion hair piled high, little black dress hugging her curves, and a mask of undulating peacock feathers covering her face, all work together to prove Kaori could still cut a striking figure. 

Elbow linked with hers, stood a tall Japanese man. Silver hair dangled down the sides of his matching peacock feather mask. Through the painful haze and his masquerade mask, Haruka struggled to identify him. 

“Director Kawakami?” Haruka tilted his head. “I didn’t realize the two of you were acquainted.”

Kaori sipped from her cocktail. Her violet eyes glinted mischievously. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, pet.”

Haruka frowned without comment. Tomoe Kawakami twirled his highball glass, causing his ice cube to swim in the amber liquid. The lens of the circular glasses he wore behind his mask reflected the room’s artificial lighting. 

The flash of light on Tomoe’s glasses churned Haruka’s stomach. Something stirred in the back of his mind. The nagging thought of a memory long forgotten. A silent insistence that his grin and his oversized glasses were not of this world. 

“I’m sorry to hear about the incident at the school. The interns told me all about it.” Kawakami’s thin lips pursed. “Michiru was there, wasn’t she? In the swimming pool?”

Haruka glared at him. The sound of Michiru’s name upon his lips filled him with crimson rage for no discernable reason at all. “Yes.” 

Haruka knew he had to change the subject. Michiru would hate to hear her internship supervisor asking about her in that worrying, pitiful tone. “She’s doing well.”

‘’There you are,” Michiru’s serene voice called out from behind. Michiru claimed possession of his arm once more. She cast Haruka a mischievous glare, trying to wordlessly convey her feelings regarding the surprise vibrations inside of her. 

Haruka was too preoccupied with his headache to enjoy the game as much as he would have liked. However, as Michiru touched him, the tension melted from his shoulders, until he realized it seemed to have passed onto Michiru. Her entire body froze. Haruka had difficulty following her line of sight behind the mask, but he could have sworn she was looking at the director as if she were seeing a ghost. 

“You already know Director Kawakami. This is Kaori Kuromine, who I’ve told you about,” Haruka introduced. Kaori sipped her cocktail with a curved eyebrow, languidly taking in the sight of Haruka’s current lover in person for the first time.

“Kaori…” Michiru tested the name on her tongue. “Nice to see you with someone your own age.” Michiru’s voice was lethal velvet. It retained every ounce of civility and grace, while allowing enough sardonicism to get her point across. 

Haruka inwardly groaned. If Kaori rose to the challenge, this pissing match could turn bloody. Kaori opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted when yet another voice joined their gathering. 

“Michiru.” 

The four of them turned toward the owner of the solemn, deep female voice. Setsuna approached, accompanied by Rei Hino. The two women were an attractive, unlikely pair. Setsuna towered above Rei in black stilettos. The crushed velvet dress she wore matched her dark emerald hair. Burgundy eyes flashed behind an ebony mask with an expression Haruka did not think Setsuna capable of. 

Setsuna was furious. And all of her ire was directed straight at Tomoe and Kaori. 

Rei, a stride behind her, bore a similar, less contained, expression. She was a vision of fire in a long ruby dress and a mask of painted flames. 

Haruka knew the mask. Rei showed it to him the day he picked up Michiru’s new phone. Blazing orange flames so potent he thought he was bathing in them. 

“Setsuna! Ms. Hino. Thank you for coming.” Michiru reached an arm out toward her second mother. 

Setsuna forcefully grabbed Michiru’s hand, yanking Michiru towards her. 

Haruka felt unbearably hot when Rei stood immediately in front of him, acting as a barrier between him and Mr. Kawakami. 

Haruka blinked. What the hell was going on?

“Would you mind introducing us?” Setsuna regained her composure, but her voice was terse and cautious. 

Michiru went on to introduce the director and Kaori. At least, that’s what Haruka assumed. He could only manage to stare at the back of Rei’s raven mane, moving in and out of focus, fire and blood roaring in his skull. The heated exchanges between Kaori and Michiru went unheard by Haruka, who was struggling to remain conscious.

“Haruka!” Michiru was beside him, holding him. 

Haruka did not know how much time had passed or what happened. His glass of water was on the floor, and five pairs of eyes were all locked on him. 

“Are you okay?” Michiru’s face came into view. Everything slowly started to focus. Setsuna and Rei were regarding him with cautious concern. Kaori’s eyebrows were raised, while Tomoe sneered. Nearby attendees were staring, and Haruka was almost positive he saw a few camera flashes. 

_I’m not okay at all. I’m losing my damn mind._

“I’m fine. Let’s go… dance.” Haruka nudged Michiru away from Kaori and Tomoe. 

“See you later… pet,” Kaori purred. Her purple eyes fell upon each and every one of them before she and Tomoe linked arms and disappeared into the crowd. 

Haruka noticed Setsuna and Rei following their movements with suspicious frowns. He couldn’t begin to guess what their problem was, but his head hurt too much to give it any consideration. 

The reassuring chill of Michiru’s touch guided his hand to the dance floor. A small orchestra played a waltz. The familiar melody should have soothed Haruka. As the notes played the recognizable tune from his repetitive dream, they transformed from an innocent waltz to screeching wails. 

Michiru, sensing his hesitation, positioned his hands and led the dance. “Don’t tell me you can’t dance.”

“No… no, I can dance,” Haruka insisted. He refused to get caught in the same conversation cycle with Michiru as his dream woman. Haruka was nothing like the fool in his dreams. He could speak to attractive women. He could dance. He could take a hint when a woman wanted to get him alone and take off his mask. 

“What are you thinking?” Michiru asked.

Haruka winced. The music was loud. Too loud. “What happened back there? Between you and Kaori?”

Michiru looked amused behind her mask. She used the hand pressed against the small of Haruka’s back to bring his body closer. “I told her exactly what I thought. You didn’t hear any of that?”

He heard the disbelief in her voice. “No. Sorry. I was… my head was--”

“I should be grateful you didn’t hear our argument. If you had, you might think less of me.”

“I doubt that,” Haruka reassured. Now his curiosity was piqued. “I get the impression you can be quite frightening when you’re angry.”

“Hmm… You have no idea.” Michiru’s fingertips tickled the back of his neck. The low purr of her voice. The seductive glint in her eyes. The confident, possessive way she moved her body against his on the dance floor. It all harkened to the oceanic spectre in his dreams. 

Their surroundings. The music. Everything was the same. Except the sensations were overbearing. Off-kilter and drowning. Michiru twirled him. Lights flickered. Cameras clicked. 

Michiru whispering in his ear. The violins crying. His feet stepping over each other. His head cradled in her neck, pressing into her skin to hide from the light. 

The movement and the noise stopped. He felt her heart, pounding in sync with his. 

“Haruka. What’s wrong?”

“I just… I have a headache. Need to go somewhere quiet.”

“I know somewhere we can go.” Michiru dug into her purse, procuring keys and her cell phone. After shooting off a text message, she wrapped her free arm around Haruka’s waist and led him through the crowds. Haruka heard askance questions and Michiru disregarding them with distant, polite decorum. 

Every step was agony, shooting pain from his heels to the base of his skull. Haruka didn’t know how much more of this he could handle. The headaches were getting progressively worse, and they had effectively ruined this event for both him and Michiru. 

“I found an abandoned office through this maintenance closet one day,” Michiru explained while sticking a key in the doorknob. “No one will bother us here. I’m sure the silence and darkness will help.”

Haruka smelled the familiar odors of cleaning products as they made their way through a dark maintenance closet. The opposite back wall had another door, which Michiru unlocked with the same key. The artist propped Haruka against a dusty desk before locking the door behind them. 

It was dingy, with dust in the air and not one source of light. The small space was secluded, and Haruka appreciated it. 

Michiru dropped her purse on an old computer chair covered with a plastic tarp. 

“Here.” She removed Haruka’s mask and set it on the desk beside him. 

Haruka felt as if a weight had been lifted. The headache subsided for a brief moment. 

Then, it returned with a vengeance, concentrated on his forehead. 

Haruka yelled out in pain as a golden light showered the room. Michiru’s mask and face became awashed in brilliant, bright light. Her eyes and mouth were open wide, disbelieving whatever she was seeing. 

Haruka blinked. The room returned to darkness. 

“What…” Michiru’s cool palm pressed against the white hot pain on his forehead. It felt as if she was applying a cold compress against his skin. 

“What was that?” Haruka rasped. 

“I don’t know. I thought—” Michiru shook her head and removed her hand. “How do you feel?”

“Much better.” The strange burst of light, or Michiru’s healing touch against her forehead, completely eradicated all traces of his headache. It was as if it never happened. 

Haruka breathed a sigh of relief. “We should go back. I don’t want you to miss your event because of me.”

“I’d just as soon let Elizabeth handle the auction.” 

Haruka watched her shadow approach. Dark arms wrapped around his neck. He already recognized the cool touch of her skin and the soft, firm muscles of her arms. “I still owe you a dance. That didn’t count.”

“If you feel well enough to dance…” Michiru’s thumbs brushed his forehead. “Then you can explain what you did to me back there. With the balls.”

Haruka grinned. He dug into his pockets and revealed his cell phone. Without explaining, he changed the settings for the two balls to the highest intensity. 

“Ahh!” Michiru grabbed the edge of the desk, struggling to keep her composure. “What the--”

Haruka held his cell phone up, showing her the app he was using. “Technology can be pretty impressive.”

“You’ve got… to be kidding me….” Michiru panted. Haruka watched the rise and fall of her shadowed cleavage. He swallowed a groan. Nothing was more enticing than the sight of his oceanic mermaid struggling to contain her lust. 

Haruka rest his hands on the curve of her hips, feeling the slight jut of her pelvic bone beneath the smooth fabric. In one fluid motion, he swapped positions with Michiru, propping her against the desk. 

“You know I can’t say no to you.” Haruka fit himself between Michiru’s spread legs. 

“Kiss me.” 

“And risk Andre’s wrath for ruining your makeup?”

Michiru pulled Haruka down by his tie. Now eye level, he could see the mischievous glint in her eyes. “I didn’t say my mouth.”

Haruka was grateful for the shroud of darkness. It concealed his meddlesome blushing. Despite the fact that Michiru couldn’t see the rouge in his cheeks, he still buried his face in the crook of her neck. 

As requested, he kissed her. His lips caressed her earlobe, the angle of her collar bone, and along the bust of her dress. Haruka’s teeth sank into the swell of Michiru’s left breast, further encouraged by the fingers tugging at his hair. 

His hands kept busy all the while; creeping Michiru’s dress up inch by inch. The fabric bunched up in his fists, relaxed against her bare thighs. 

“Hold your dress up,” Haruka instructed as he got down to his knees. Michiru’s lips pursed. She hummed, proud of his husky order, and spread her legs wider. 

Haruka decided time was of the essence. As gratifying as it was to bring Michiru to the edge over and over before allowing her release, they did have an event that Michiru poured a lot of time and energy into planning to go back to. 

He slid her milky lace panties down the length of her legs. One heeled foot at a time, he removed the garment. Making a show to inhale its sweet scent as she watched, he then buried it in the depths of his suit pocket. 

Unable to abandon foreplay completely, Haruka trailed kisses up the inside of her legs. The closer he got to her center, the longer he dawdled, until he paused to leave a round bruise just below her hip. 

“Haruka…” Michiru hissed, struggling to do something with her hands besides clenching the folds of her dress in place. 

His mouth migrated over, drawn to the increasingly potent aroma of her arousal. His fingers sought out the thin, looped string of the kegels. The temptation to instantly remove them rose, but he lingered instead. 

His fingers absently tugged at the string, enough to remind her of the weighted, vibrating balls inside of her. Michiru groaned, slipping when Haruka’s tongue began circling her clit. He contemplated turning the vibrations off, but decided against it-- the sensation would be all the more enthralling when he yanked them out.

Haruka’s mouth traveled further south. He removed his fingers from the string, replacing them with his teeth. Without warning, he yanked down, releasing one of the kegels from inside of her. 

“God!” Michiru released her dress in favor of gripping the edge of the desk. The fabric flowed over Haruka, trapping him beneath it. 

Haruka relished being suffocated by her. He rose up to meet her sex with his mouth. The freed kegel dangled between her thighs, dripping with her juices. Though Michiru could not see him, Haruka made sure to suck on it, subtly applying pressure to the toy. It pulsated incessantly, tickling the inside flesh of her thighs. 

“That feels…” Michiru was unable to finish her thought. Desperate, sexy whimpers replaced words as Haruka’s thumb circled her clit. 

After engulfing the entire kegel in his mouth once more, Haruka pulled harder. Michiru cried out as her vaginal walls yearned for the fullness suddenly torn from them. Haruka did not care to suppress her vocal expressions. He was so wrapped up in her heat and lust, that he filled her entrance with his tongue, anxious to drink her juices once more. 

“Ruka, please.”

She didn’t have to beg… but Haruka loved it when she did. 

Michiru’s thighs trembled on either side of him. The pitch of her cries and the swollen bud his tongue vigorously stroked told him how close she was. 

“Oh, God, I—“ 

A deafening explosion drowned out the sound of Michiru’s screams. The building foundation rattled all around them. 

“What the hell?” Haruka buried the kegels in his other pocket and fumbled to get out from underneath Michiru’s dress. The empty shelves beside them shook violently. 

Michiru grabbed her purse and shoved Haruka’s mask into it. Her cheeks were flushed, but otherwise the rush of adrenaline snapped her to attention. “Let’s go.”

The couple made their way through the abandoned office and the attached maintenance closet. A rush of people ran past them, heading for the main entrance. 

“Michiru! Haruka! This way!” 

Haruka recognized Elizabeth calling out to them. She was waving over the horde of people trying to escape. 

The building shook again. Plaster dust rained down upon them. 

“Go on!” Michiru waved Elizabeth on before turning to Haruka. “I need to make sure Setsuna’s okay.”

Instinct told Haruka they should follow the crowd and leave. He had no idea what was going on, but running into the perceived danger sounded like a very, very bad. 

Something inside of him made him nod in agreement. Michiru took his hand and they sprinted against the rush of fleeing survivors as fast as they could. The narrow hallways were suffocating. 

The instinct for survival was replaced by something else. Haruka felt no fear. He was ready for conflict. For danger. With Michiru beside him, he was ready to do whatever it took to keep these people safe. 

“Mars Flame Sniper!” A female voice yelled from another room. The exclamation, roaring above the confusion, stopped them in their tracks. 

A burst of fire and heat exploded before them. Haruka realized it was billowing out from the archway leading into the large theater room where the auction was held. Haruka instinctively used his body to shield Michiru from danger. 

Thanks to the verbal warning, they stopped just short of the explosion’s radius. 

Haruka looked at Michiru. They shared a determined nod before racing towards the fire. 

They turned the corner into the theater, freezing in their tracks at the sight before them. 

Debris and fire spread out infinitely before them. Injured people and broken masks littered the floor. The opposite wall was completely blown away, letting in the city lights and night sky. 

Running through the blown out wall were two women. Both of them wore strange outfits with short skirts. Long, dark hair flowed behind them. Haruka noticed the taller one bore a long staff with a strange garnet orb decorating the top. The other was sprinting in bright red heels, flames dancing on her fingertips. 

“Hey!” Haruka called after them. 

The female figures briefly paused, but did not turn around. Haruka winced through the smoke, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of one of their profiles. 

“That ornament…” Michiru muttered beside him. 

Haruka looked at Michiru, making the mistake of turning away from the mysterious couple. When he looked back, they were gone. Two clouds of dust hovered where their bodies stood. 

“They jumped…. up over the building…” Michiru’s jaw dropped, not believing the words leaving her own mouth. 

Haruka missed their exit, but he believed Michiru’s words. With everything else he had seen over the last month, women leaping onto rooftops would not be the strangest thing to have happened. 

Haruka squeezed Michiru’s hand. The magnitude of the destruction around them sank in. As he observed the shattered remains of the building crumbling around them, and heard the moans of pain coming from people who had been socializing and drinking only minutes ago, realization slammed into him like a brick wall. 

Stray fires flickered. Hopelessness settled like a heavy blanket around them, suffocating their senses.

Haruka stared, speechless, as he realized where he had seen this portrait of desolation before. 

“Michiru. Your painting. It’s…”

“The Silence.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to JurisLadyAnna for the vibrating ben wa balls idea. ^_~


	17. Take It Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka takes off her mask.

**♅**

_Liquid flesh pours over me, assuming shape against my naked form. I’m caressed by the sea. So frigid, but so energetic and alive. I’m disoriented, swimming through seas of memories without air._

_I need air._

_I am air._

_I emerge with a splash. My greedy lungs soak in all the air they can hold._

_I don’t recognize the room. But I recognize her._

_It’s Michiru… Except it isn’t._

_She is fully dressed, wearing the immaculate ball gown and masquerade mask. Fabric spills out from her hourglass figure and over my naked body. The sparkles of her mask glint in the darkness, taunting me._

_“Is something the matter?” she asks while her thighs squeeze both sides of my waist. “Have you changed your mind?”_

_Her lips, painted blood red, pout. My face burns. “What? No, no, I’m just…” Her eyes are vivid, clear, and I know exactly who they belong to. “It’s not fair. I’m naked and you’re not.”_

_Teal waves pour over my chest. Her skin is cold like the deep sea, but the inside of her mouth is hot against my nipple. My back arches in kind. The reefs on her mask scratch my skin._

_This is a dream. A memory. A vision._

_I’ve never felt so alive._

_“You aren’t naked. Not yet,” she retorts. The sly, coy tease can only belong to one woman. She moves a hand south beneath the folds of fabric, making me well aware I’m not wearing anything down there._

_“Umm… I’m…”_

_Her free hand taps the pointed tip of her mask._

_Oh, right._

_My hands fly to my face. My fingers tap my forehead, around my eyes, and the bridge of my nose._

_There’s nothing there._

_“But I’m not--”_

_The pad of her index finger presses my lips closed. “I don’t know when we’ll see each other again after tonight. I need to see your face while we make love.”_

_The magnificent mermaid above me is serious. Disconcertingly so. Cerulean orbs pierce my nervous, shifty gaze. Her unflinching declaration to make love to me, spoken with absolute certainty, chills my bones. I need her. This mermaid. This princess. This goddess._

_My hand reaches out for her mask. She slaps it away, stinging._

_“Take off yours, and I’ll take off mine.” Stern, as if she is negotiating terms of war._

_I need her… but I don’t know how to give her what she wants._

_“But I’m not--”_

_Her face twists. Contorts. In less than a second she transforms from a seductress to a demon. Adrenaline spiking, I try fleeing but she lunges and begins clawing at my face. She’s relentless. Pulling away strips of skin with her nails. Screeching._

_I try rolling over and pushing her off but I’m panicking and she’s deceptively strong. My blood splatters against her bare chest and all I can do is wail in agony._

_No! Stop! Please!_

_“I SAID TAKE IT OFF!!”_

**♅**

Haruka sat up in bed. Clawing and grasping. Tearing away imaginary shreds of a mask. Her fingernails came away bloody, but she could not stop. Heaving, panting and screaming, Haruka was frantic, hearing dream Neptune-Michiru-whoever’s piercing screams. The dream woman’s fingernails continued digging into her eyes. 

“Haruka! Haruka stop!” 

Haruka’s hands were forcefully pulled away. She tried again, to pull away the mask, but something held her back. 

“Relax… It was only a dream,” a soothing voice cooed. 

No, It wasn’t only a dream.

Haruka took a deep breath. She forced herself to focus on what was before her face. There were bloody fingertips, and someone else’s hands gripping her wrists. 

“A dream…” Haruka’s voice rasped. Speaking hurt; she could only wonder how long she had been screaming before emerging from her delirium. 

“Yes, a dream.” 

Haruka tore her eyes from their conjoined hands. She felt it now; a sudden rush of pain from the gashes in her face. Hot liquid trickled onto her cheeks. 

“Look at you,” the woman beside her admonished as if speaking to a rambunctious child trailing dirt into the house.

Haruka closed her eyes. The dream was over, but she could not forget. The bed shifted as her companion left. She clenched her fists, trying to ground herself alone, burying the mark of her insanity. 

“Take this off,” the serene voice whispered as Haruka found herself shrugging out of the shirt she had slept in. An askance glance at the alarm clock told her it was just before four AM. Without looking at the shirt, she knew it was covered in blood. 

“Here.” A cool cloth pressed against her forehead. Haruka closed her eyes, basking in the tingling relief against her damaged flesh. 

“Michiru?” 

A lilting giggle pierced the dark. “Of course, silly. Who else would I be?”

Who else, indeed? 

Haruka sat in silence, contemplating the dream woman’s words while a washcloth dabbed at her face. 

“Does that feel better?” Michiru asked at length.

Haruka nodded. The healing touch migrated to her hands. The damp cloth rubbed against her fingers, smudging away liquid crimson. 

“Yes. Sorry.” Haruka swallowed. 

A hand raked through her sweaty bangs. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Haruka’s mind raced through the events of her dream. Every detail was seared into her memory. The layers of her dress, spilling out around them. The mutual waves of desire rolling and meeting between them. 

The dream woman’s inability to proceed without removing a mask that she couldn’t find. Her volatile, explosive anger when Haruka couldn’t take it off. 

Where was it? Where was this invisible mask she was supposed to throw away before the dream woman would show her face? 

As Haruka considered the implications of the frustrating mask puzzle she was unable to solve, a repressed memory came to her. 

“Our first night. In the Skyloft. Why did you say that?” Haruka asked. 

“Say what?” Michiru tilted her head. 

“That I was wearing a mask.”

Fingers gingerly dabbed at the superficial wounds. Michiru’s fingers were frosty and comforting. “I don’t recall saying that.”

_Maybe I really am losing my mind._

“But,” Michiru continued thoughtfully, “If your dreams are telling you to take it off, maybe it’s time.”

Michiru had the uncanny ability of acting as if she knew every detail of Haruka’s personal struggle. She was either incredibly insightful, or incredibly patient. When Haruka arched her eyebrows quizzically, Michiru elaborated. “You talk in your sleep.”

“What would you know about wearing a mask?” Haruka grunted.

Haruka felt Michiru’s mesmerizing eyes on her. They were never accusatory or judging, like she assumed they should have been countless times by now. Instead, they were simultaneously curious and omniscient. 

“If these dreams are bothering you that much, then it would stand to reason you should try it,” Michiru gently prodded. “Take it off.”

Haruka finally gained the courage to look back at the woman sitting beside her. There was no mask on her ethereal, perfect face. Michiru’s visage was an open book; concern, affection, and desire. There was always desire. 

The events of Haruka’s disturbing dream replayed in Michiru’s cerulean orbs. Everything about the mystery woman, up until she turned into a screeching banshee, was Michiru. The looks and charm, her grace and confidence, all painted a picture of this unbelievable young woman. 

There was also the dream woman’s insatiability. Another trait of Michiru’s. At this point, it was hard to deny they must be one and the same. Haruka hated this stalemate. Even if Michiru was willing to continue waiting on her indecisiveness, the talented seductress deserved more. 

Haruka sighed. After forcing herself to confront every detail of her dreams and personal life, she had an idea of what the goddess in her dreams was demanding. 

“What is it?” Michiru broke the silence after Haruka had been staring at her for minutes without speaking. 

The enigma wanted Haruka. She wanted everything. Her body. Her vulnerability. Her truth. 

Most importantly, she wanted the deepest part of herself Haruka had been saving just for her. 

Haruka reached across the short space between them to stroke Michiru’s hair. The blue-green locks felt the same. The scent of sea salt and crackling electricity between them was the same. Michiru was, quite frankly, the closest Haruka was going to get. 

And if not, Haruka innately knew she had already made her choice. 

“I choose you.” 

Michiru tilted her head, looking flattered despite her befuddlement. The adorable expression on her face strengthened Haruka’s resolve. Before she could lose her nerve, Haruka pulled Michiru to her by her loose-fitting tank top. Michiru nimbly adjusted, following Haruka’s guidance to fit herself above Haruka while still partially concealed by the navy blue comforter. 

Haruka’s hands found the back of Michiru’s neck, greedily bringing their mouths together. Michiru smelled and tasted like an ocean breeze. Haruka decided this was how she appreciated Michiru the most; raw and pure, with her natural scent and untamed waves of hair. 

Haruka was unusually aggressive. She swallowed Michiru’s tongue into her mouth, biting her luscious bottom lip over and over, hoping her actions properly conveyed her intentions. 

Not letting Haruka off the hook, Michiru pulled back and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t understand what you mean.” 

Staring up at this immaculate woman above her, Haruka could only see the other her; radiating sexuality and certainty while boldly speaking of making love. Haruka didn’t know if she could channel even an ounce of that assurance, but she had to try. Michiru had to be convinced she was ready. 

“I mean…” Haruka’s hands traveled the length of Michiru’s curves, resting at either side of her hips. “I want you to make love to me.”

Haruka hated how afraid and shy she sounded. Try as she might, she could never mimic Michiru’s unabashed sexiness.

Michiru’s slight pout turned into a smile that absorbed all of the moonlight in the room. She leaned down to brush her lips against Haruka’s forehead. Elation and assuredness poured from the simple gesture, telling Haruka she had made the right choice. 

“Are you sure?” Michiru whispered. 

Haruka nodded. “Even if I’m wrong… you’re the woman I want. Uh, that is… if you’ll still have me?” she asked sheepishly, hoping Michiru couldn’t see her blush in the dark. 

“You’re already mine,” she countered with stern possessiveness. Michiru flickered her tongue against Haruka’s earlobe. “Do you want to go to the Skyloft?”

Haruka cupped Michiru’s face between her hands. She cast an absolute, unquestionable gaze. “No. No toys, no distractions. I just want you.”

“Help me out of my clothes,” Michiru softly instructed after assisting Haruka into a sitting position. With Michiru still on her lap, Haruka pulled the sleeping tank over her head. She ran her thumbs down the slight ripples of Michiru’s ribs. Haruka’s eyes settled on Michiru’s generous mounds, tipped with rosy nipples. 

The moment of quiet appreciation didn’t last long. Michiru guided Haruka’s hands down to her hips, where baby blue panties waited to be removed. After some awkward adjusting, Michiru’s underwear vanished, and she positioned herself between Haruka’s spread legs. 

“You’ve proved you’re very good at pleasing a woman,” Michiru purred as she leaned forward. Their bare breasts tickled each other. “But can you let go and let me take care of you?”

Haruka swallowed hard. How could Michiru say such intimate things without so much as batting an eyelash? “I--I think so.”

Michiru kissed her with firm reassurance. Her pliable lips molded against Haruka’s. She could never get enough of the way her hot mouth juxtaposed Michiru’s icy skin. Michiru’s tongue slipped in and out of Haurka’s mouth, playfully poking around. 

Haruka’s body became lighter than air. Despite Michiru weighing her down, her desire made her weightless. Higher and higher she rose, with every erotic touch and sweet whisper.

“I’ve wanted to do this to you for so long.” Michiru grazed her teeth down the side of Haruka’s neck. Missing Michiru’s mouth against her own, Haruka groaned in response. She settled with holding Michiru’s hips down into her to keep from floating away. 

Fingers pinched and rolled Haruka’s nipples. The pressure, and coinciding pleasure, was grounding. Michiru sat up and stared into her with heavy eyes. “And once you come for me, I’ve no intention of stopping until I think you’re ready for mercy. Understand?”

And this was the woman Haruka once thought she could make a submissive. Haruka’s knees were already trembling with anticipation. 

It had been easier than she originally thought, suppressing her desires when focusing on Michiru’s pleasure. But now that Haruka removed the mental block and let herself remember the fire in her loins she had smothered for so long… She didn’t know how long she could survive Michiru’s advances. 

“I understand,” Haruka whispered hoarsely. 

“Good.” Michiru’s upper lip curled, indicating she was concocting some sort of devilish scheme. “Now let’s do something about these.”

Too dazed, Haruka wasn’t sure what Michiru meant until she felt her hips being raised and her last article of clothing sliding down her long legs. 

Exposed at last, Haruka waited as she felt Michiru’s gaze on her naked lower half. 

“Have I mentioned how much I love your muscles?” Michiru accented her question by running a single finger along the slight ripples of Haruka’s midriff. 

“And especially this…” Michiru’s finger continued along the slanted muscles leading to the juncture between Haruka’s legs. “Your V.” Fingers tickled both sides of her lower abdomen, making her shudder. “And your cute little belly button.”

Haruka started to laugh, but it turned into a moan when Michiru’s tongue circled around her navel. 

“And, most important of all…” Fingernails raked through Haruka’s small tuft of dark blond hair. “This part of you that I’ve been dying to play with.”

With only the slightest of pressure on Michiru’s behalf, her entire body was assaulted with bolts of electricity. The shared power between them transformed her essence. Haruka was vaguely aware of Michiru’s actions, her hands and her mouth, but the effect they had on her turned the outside world to static. Haruka’s blood churned and screamed until she was the essence of pure wind; a tornado circling the lovers in an inexplicable out of body experience. 

She became one with the wind, traveling through time and space, finding every erotic scene with the beautiful spectre haunting her. In every vision they moved in sync, making love in water or beneath the stars, pushing their bodies to the brink of sexual gratification. 

In every layered moment the oceanic creature was in control, pleasuring her in a multitude of fashions that all amounted to the same maddening effect. 

_“One more time, Uranus.”_

_“You’re so easy, Uranus.”_

_“Please stay with me tonight, Uranus…”_

“Haruka,” one of the visions whispered, but the voice barely registered. Haruka was lost in a torrent of release. Each white hot spasm sent her to another cloud in the heavens, where another moment of trembling in Neptune’s arms awaited. 

_“I’m going to make you mine, again and again…”_

Haruka unraveled. Again and again, as the insatiable woman promised. She was there, stacked against Michiru, as real as the orgasms tearing through her. 

Her mouth and fingers were always hungry. She was relentless. 

Haruka didn’t think it could possibly happen again, but it did. Every mnemonic Michiru giggled, held her close, and continued in their unending pursuit of Haruka’s flesh. 

The tornado suddenly imploded. 

Haruka was inside herself once more, crying with the weight of her synonymous mental and physical releases. 

“Neptune, stop!” she heard herself begging before realizing where she was and what she was saying. 

Every inch of her skin prickled. Every fine hair stood on end. MIchiru was captive between her thighs. Haruka’s sex was throbbing from exertion and release, with Michiru’s fingers stiff inside of her. 

Haruka struggled to catch her breath. Michiru’s satisfied visage floating above her slowly brought reality back into focus. 

“Where were you?” Michiru gently teased while pushing sweaty locks away from Haruka’s forehead. 

Haruka pressed her face into Michiru’s touch. Her body and mind were still afloat, lost in the haze of dreamscapes and release. 

“With you,” Haruka answered once she found words. “Always with you.”

“Oh?” Michiru laid on her side, propping her upper body on her elbow. Haruka felt keen aquatic eyes on her flushed chest, studying her as she came down. “Then who is this ‘Neptune’ woman I’ve been hearing so much about?”

Despite the playful tone in Michiru’s voice, Haruka flinched. The question was a dare, challenging her to admit something she suspected Michiru had known all along. “Well, um, my dream woman, I guess… Does that make you jealous?”

Fingertips trailed down the sharp curve of her jaw, following her neck and collar bone. “That’s a silly question. Why would I be jealous of myself?”

Haruka stiffened in reaction to both Michiru’s casual response and the fingers tickling her breasts once again. “You do realize how… ludicrous this sounds?” 

Michiru leaned forward and whispered in Haruka’s ear. “It sounds perfectly reasonable to me… Uranus.” 

Chills danced up Haruka’s spine. Ever since Setsuna uttered that word while speaking straight to her face, Haruka could not stop wondering what it could possibly mean. Uranus, Neptune, her recurring dreams… 

“Do you really believe that?” Haruka asked, breathless. 

Michiru shrugged. “Why not?”

“Why not?” Haruka repeated. Michiru’s casual reaction to boldly claiming they had alternate identities being revealed to themselves in their dreams was baffling. “Because it’s crazy, that’s why not.”

“I disagree…” the younger woman crooned. “I’m not saying it makes complete sense. But, I believe the truth will reveal itself in time. Our dreams, these strange occurrences…” Frosty lips found the sensitive crook in Haruka’s neck. “This electric energy between us…” 

As if summoned, the jarring static picked back up again. Haruka groaned, causing her lover to grow bold once more. Half-submerged by her presence, Haruka fell into the mattress as teeth sank into her flesh. 

“It’s not a coincidence… You’re right…” Haruka admitted. She thought she was done. Past the brink of sexual satisfaction for one day. But when Michiru slid on top of her body once more, she realized how wrong she was. 

“You are mine.” The sweet promise, laced with possession, made Haruka’s forehead tingle. 

“You already said that…” Haruka whimpered. The familiar, but no less enticing, heat of Michiru’s sex pressed into hers. 

“It bears repeating.” Michiru took the bait, repeating a joke of theirs that spawned during their illicit tryst in Haruka’s office. 

Laughter resonated in Haruka’s chest. When Michiru was done leaving a bruise on her neck, she pulled back and furrowed her brow. 

“And you say I heal quickly,” Michiru mused while tapping Haruka’s nose. 

“What?”

“Your scratches… they’re all gone.”

“Oh.” Haruka blinked. Before she had time to reflect on that unexpected statement, Michiru changed the subject. 

“Are you going to answer my question now?” Michiru brought one of Haruka’s palms to her lips. 

“Hmm…” Haruka couldn’t recall much of anything. “What question?”

“What am I to you?” 

Dawn’s light poured through the cracks in the curtains, illuminating Michiru’s face with pink light. She was a radiant angel, sent from the far reaches of the galaxy to answer the questions Haruka had been running from for far too long. 

“You are my everything.” 

“Good answer…” Michiru playfully mused. Haruka’s gaze fixated on her pert breasts. She wanted to reach up and fondle them, but she didn’t dare interrupt Michiru’s plans. Something told the former dominant there would be dire consequences if she did. 

“I suppose this means my time as a pillow princess is over,” Michiru said. 

“What’s a pillow princess?” 

Michiru released a lilting laugh in response to Haruka’s ignorance. She didn’t seem surprised, as Haruka had already proved she was out of touch with the lingo Michiru’s peers were using. “You. For the next few hours, that is.”

Haruka blinked. She tried figuring out what Michiru meant. As a young prodigy, she had always been disconnected from her peers and current trends that had nothing to do with Wall Street. But she was twenty-one, not eighty-one, and felt like she should know these sorts of things. 

Her befuddled state only made Michiru laugh more. “You’re an adorable dork. My adorable dork.”

“Yes I am,” Haruka growled back. Michiru leaned down into her, crushing their breasts together to lay sensual kisses on her mouth. Haruka snaked her hands between their breasts. She half-expected her hands to get slapped away. To her surprise, the seductress embraced the gesture. 

Michiru’s moans sent shocks through Haruka’s body. “I think you’ve recovered enough…”

Hands wandered down her belly. It took no stretch of the imagination to guess Michiru’s intentions. Haruka inhaled sharply. “Can’t I, um… Have a glass of water first?”

Michiru cast her a suspicious glare.

It was Haruka’s turn to laugh. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not going to run away.”

“I’ll get your water.” Michiru slithered out of bed. Her scarcely concealed pout at the idea of stopping their lovemaking for a few minutes was endearing. And frightening, when Haruka realized Michiru was serious about not letting her out of bed for the remainder of the day. 

The CEO would like nothing more than to spend the day in bed, being pampered by her insatiable partner. But it would be impossible to ignore the duties of real life, especially after last night’s events. 

As if hearing her thoughts, the cell phone on her nightstand rattled. Before Haruka could grab it, Michiru snatched the device and turned it off. 

“Uh… Michiru?”

“Later,” she ordered in a tone that indicated Haruka would regret arguing. “Much later.”

Dropping the subject, Haruka glanced at the clock. It was after six AM already. She couldn’t believe Michiru had been making love to her for two hours already. The sensations and the strange visions had claimed her in a pleasurable, but confusing, vortex. Time ceased to flow in Haruka’s mind, but accelerated on the outside. 

Haruka was amazed with Michiru’s stamina. She hadn’t broken a sweat, nor acted tired in the slightest. 

“You need to put something on,” Haruka insisted, even as she was appreciating Michiru’s porcelain body parading around her bedroom. “It’s after six. Angela’s in the kitchen.”

Michiru cast a sly glance at Haruka over her shoulder. She made a last second detour into the closet, emerging in a transparent chemise that made Haruka scowl. It hugged Michiru’s gorgeous curves and left nothing to the imagination. 

In short, she may as well have stayed nude. 

Satisfied with her reaction, Michiru smiled seductively. “I’ll be right back with your water, sir.”

Haruka was no fool; Michiru wearing that revealing lingerie was low-key payback for interrupting her plans. Haruka wasn’t worried about Angela’s reaction. She was professional, married with children, and straight as an arrow. Knowing all of these things, the business mogul was still unhappy with the thought of anyone gawking at her lover.

She considered leaving bed to use the conjoined restroom, but her muscles refused to cooperate. Haruka’s body had become one with the mattress. She couldn’t recall the last time her physical and mental states were in synonymous tranquility like this. 

Before Haruka could make up her mind about leaving the bed, Michiru made the decision for her. She sauntered into the room, glass of water in hand, and returned to the bed. With a grunt of effort, Haruka pushed herself into a seated position. 

“I’ve returned with your drink, sir.” 

Haruka reached a hand out, but Michiru kept the glass out of reach. “Nuh-uh,” she shook her head, tossing unruly teal waves to and fro. 

Haruka made a show of objection by groaning and shaking her head, but she played along. Her hands rest on the bed. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth, ready to drink. The cool rim of the glass pressed against her bottom lip. Haruka closed her eyes to drink, but instead of feeling her mouth fill with water, the ice cold liquid trickled down her chest and between her breasts. 

“Oops.” Michiru’s soft giggle indicated that was far from accidental. 

Shudders racked Haruka’s body. Her nipples hardened and her spine tingled. She glared at Michiru. 

“That wasn’t funny.” She swallowed hard. It took every ounce of willpower not to lean forward and feast upon Michiru’s breasts through her sheer garment. 

“It was an accident.” Michiru pouted.

“I’m not talking about the water.” Haruka snatched the glass and began chugging the drink. The water soothed her sore throat. 

“Oh my,” Michiru hummed. “Are you jealous?”

Haruka glared in response. Finished with her refreshment, Michiru took the glass and set it on the nightstand beside the alarm clock. 

“No…” Haruka grabbed Michiru by her hips, guiding the cobalt beauty back onto her lap where she belonged. “But that doesn’t mean I like the idea of anyone else staring at… this.”

“Mmm…” Michiru crooned, allowing Haruka the pleasure of massaging her bottom through the chemise. “Says the person plastered on hundreds of magazine covers.”

“Not half naked.” Haruka’s tongue flicked across a nipple poking through the fabric. “How did that thing get in my closet, anyway?”

Michiru’s fingers combed through Haruka’s sandy hair. Without warning, she yanked Haruka’s head back, forcing her into a seductive stare. “Intermission’s over.”

“But--”

“No buts.” A sapphire flash, and Michiru had Haruka’s hands pinned above her head. Haruka gasped in surprise. Satisfaction rolled in waves from Michiru’s body. She was in her element, taking control in the bedroom. Haruka had sensed her penchant for control from the very beginning. Now that Michiru was finally allowed to indulge in this side of herself, there was no going back. 

Haruka had never casually yielded for another person before. Her stint as Kaori’s submissive years ago was structured. Rigid. Not casual, raw, and based in mutual adoration and respect. 

This was entirely new. Yet it somehow felt right and familiar. 

“Although. There was one more thing…” Michiru’s index finger followed the wet trail down between Haruka’s pert breasts. “Your safe word.”

“My-my safe word?” Haruka gulped, despite herself. 

“You must have one.” Michiru paused to adore Haruka’s naked form. When she was done nibbling her bottom lip, a gesture that made Haruka squirm no matter the situation, she pressed. “What is it?”

Trying her best not to torture herself with the implications of why Michiru wanted to know, Haruka answered. “Blue.”

“Blue,” Michiru repeatedly plainly. She pursed her lips for a moment before abandoning her thoughts and concentrating again on Haruka’s naked body. The intense turquoise stare made Haruka break out into a cold sweat. 

Her anxiety disappeared into Michiru’s passionate kiss. Energy returned to her muscles, propelling her to rock her hips into the tantalizing body holding her down. While their lips locked in an endless expression of need, a stray hand forced itself between their bodies. 

“M-Michiru,” Haruka inhaled when cold fingers began separating her nether lips. A slight tug indicated Michiru’s other hand was not relenting against her wrists. 

“This time…” Michiru pulled her head back to level Haruka with firm glare that could kill a lesser being. “I’m not stopping until you use your safe word.” 

One finger entered her. Then another. They curled inside of her, stroking at a languid, menacing pace. Haruka made a noise she didn’t think she was capable of; something between a whimper and a scream. She tried swallowing the ridiculous sounds, but they only got louder as Michiru continued playing with her. 

Desire coiled through her abdomen, multiplying as the seconds passed. Michiru’s perfect body swaying above her, the lingerie tickling her bare skin, the magical aura they shared; it was all overwhelming. Haruka’s consciousness remained grounded this time. She watched the Pisces constellation dangling from the hollow of Michiru’s neck until the onslaught was too much. 

Haruka closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Before an orgasm could wash her senses away, Michiru abruptly stopped. 

Confused, she looked up at Michiru, who was clicking her tongue. The pressure on her wrists relented. Haruka cupped the mermaid’s soft cheeks, momentarily dazed, lost in the fathomless ocean depths concealed within her irises. 

Michiru tilted her head into Haruka’s touch for a brief moment before returning to her controlling persona. 

“Don’t close your eyes again,” she ordered. 

A wolfish smile crossed Haruka’s lips. 

She could get used to playing this game. 

**♅**

There were hundreds of things Haruka should have done that day. Paperwork and investigations and damage control and press releases, all thanks to the mysterious events at last night’s fundraiser. 

But as it turned out, Michiru had other plans. 

They lay in bed, staring and smiling at each other after Michiru had finally relented hours later. The young seductress refused to let Haruka work. Instead, she stroked Haruka’s hair and asked, “What do you want to do now?” 

Well, the answer to that was simple. 

With the convertible top down and the ocean breeze whipping through their hair, they drove. Miles and miles they traversed together, putting all their worries and concerns behind them. 

Michiru sat in the passenger seat, full of ardor and awe at the splendor of the ocean shore running parallel to the highway. Haruka drove, applying more and more pressure to the gas pedal until they became one with the wind. 

When it came time to take a break, they parked along the side of the road and watched the orange sunset across the shoreline. Gusts of crisp spring air skirted along the majestic ocean, creating unending ripples along the beach. Michiru relaxed her head on Haruka’s shoulder as they leaned against the sports car. 

As they sat in quiet reflection, the inevitable anxieties regarding recent events crept into Haruka’s mind. Last night’s masquerade ball turned into nothing short of a tragedy—a mysterious attack much like the destruction at NYU’s gymnasium. 

Haruka checked the news on her phone the first chance she got, and immediately regretted it. The media had already decided a domestic terrorist was the culprit, lack of convincing evidence be damned. Haruka’s private investigators had yet to unearth any useful information about those attacks or the sudden asteroid from months prior. 

Haruka frowned as her thoughts turned to her mentor and business associate. Kaori had not answered her phone, nor responded to any texts after last night. Tomoe Kawakami had also gone missing, despite her secretary and Ms. McGregor’s ceaseless efforts to contact him. 

A thought came to Haruka. “Hey, Michiru?”

The subject of her attention turned to look up at her face. “Hmm?”

“The night I picked you up at your internship and you were upset. It was the director, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” Michiru turned her attention back to the soothing shoreline. “That feels like so long ago.”

Haruka’s jaw clenched. She had trusted and respected the man. Never would she have guessed he was the type to harass young women. And, as Haruka surmised by his association with Kaori, be involved with a wealthy, influential gang. 

“Ok. Thank you for telling me.” Haruka squeezed Michiru’s shoulder tighter, grateful they were both present and unharmed. 

The business prodigy said nothing more on the subject, but she mentally swore to hunt Tomoe Kawakami down and torture him until he confessed to how he upset Michiru. 

Trying to push vengeful thoughts from her mind, she considered everything else on her to-do list. Haruka still had to reach out to every employee and intern at the gallery. Their jobs or internships were on hold until further notice. Haruka hadn’t even begun listening to her endless voicemails from contract proposals, settlement quotes, and media outlets. 

All of that could wait until tomorrow. 

Now it was her and Michiru, stealing a moment of solitude. 

“Ruka…” Michiru’s fingers wrapped around Haruka’s bicep. “These unexplained bombings. I was there. Both times. It can’t be a coincidence.” 

Haruka stiffened. Michiru’s simple observation was right, of course. But the thought of anyone singling Michiru out with the intent to cause her harm disoriented Haruka with rage. 

If Haruka could bring herself to listen to her voicemails, she knew there were most likely messages from journalists who had made the same connection. She knew the gossip columns and news articles were already loaded with images of them together at both catastrophes. 

“Maybe.” Haruka’s jaw flexed. “But whatever’s going on, we get through it. As long as we’re together.”

Michiru squeezed her arm harder. “Yes. As long as we’re together.”


	18. Bunny On The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru sees the bunny on the moon.

**♆**

_I’m too old to be crawling into her bed. But I can’t sleep again. I get close, start dozing off sometimes, but my stupid dreams keep waking me up. I don’t know why my brain does this to me._

_My mind keeps recreating their deaths; brakes squealing, metal crunching, bones breaking._

_Then I hear Varius... crashing against the wall._

_I see that handsome boy, sitting behind their empty seats._

_I see Setsuna’s haunting, concerned face._

_And I wake up. Again and again._

_I weave through stacked boxes and packaging tape in the dark. Setsuna’s bedroom door is open. She’s awake. She’s always awake. Setsuna stares out her large open window, silhouetted against Tokyo’s lights and the bright full moon._

_She doesn’t react when I let myself into her bedroom and stand beside her at the window. I look up at her profile. She’s elegant, tall, and her eyes rarely betray anything besides brief flashes of affection for me. I’ve known her my whole life, and I still can’t tell what she’s thinking._

_Reading her has become even harder since my parents died. Or maybe I’m just too obsessed with my own misery to take the time to bother._

_“What are you doing?” I ask. It’s obvious what she’s doing. Stargazing. She always does this. But I’d rather ask a stupid question than tackle the reason I can’t sleep._

_It’s nothing she doesn’t already know._

_“Looking at the rabbit on the moon,” she replies almost wistfully._

_I cross my arms. “There’s no bunny on the moon. That’s like believing in Santa Claus.”_

_“Oh, but there is a bunny on the moon, Mi-chan.” Setsuna starts talking to me like I’m a child again. “A bunny with bright blue eyes and blonde hair so light, it’s almost white.”_

_“Grinding rice paste for mochi?” I play along, but I’m too old to believe in silly stories like that._

_“That’s where the myth is wrong. She doesn’t make mochi. But she loves to eat it.”_

_Setsuna studies the stars and planets for a living. If anyone knows what’s on the moon, it’s her. I don’t believe her, obviously, I just think she’s doing a bad job of being silly to cheer me up._

_I turn to look at the moon. Its silver light, blazing through miles of space and earth’s atmosphere, calls out to me. It calms the confusion and anger inside of me. Most nights, anyway._

_“How did you meet my parents?” I’m not sure where that thought came from. But, when I think to ask, it does seem strange the topic’s never come up in conversation before. I’ve never really thought to ask— Setsuna’s always been in my life, like a doting aunt who has no kids of her own to raise and spoil._

_“I was at the hospital the day you were born.” Setsuna turns away from the window to look at me. “You were a healthy, strong baby, full of life and energy. I told your parents how special you were.”_

_“Just like that? How did you know I was special?”_

_Her burgundy eyes narrow. Setsuna stares, so intense and uncomfortable, right through me. I think she wants to tell me something. Her lips part and she touches the top of my head._

_“A little bunny told me.” The answer is unusually flippant for her._

_I scoff and roll my eyes. “You’re impossible.”_

_“Any more questions?”_

_I have hundreds and hundreds of them._

_She pulls her hand back. The diamond ring she’s worn for as long as I can remember shimmers._

_“Yeah. Where’d that ring come from? You never take it off.”_

_Setsuna regards her jewelry with that same guarded expression. “It has been in my family for decades.”_

_“Oh. It’s pretty.” I don’t know what else to say. She seems sad now. She’s never sad. Even when they died and she got stuck with me she just picked up the pieces and went through the motions. Setsuna never complained or treated me as anything less than her own._

_“You can have your very own, someday.” She forces a smile while looking at the night sky._

_“Can I sleep with you tonight?”_

_I’m being a big baby. I can’t help it. The nightmares are so real and I miss them so much. There’s no way I can go back to sleep by myself in my room where half of my life is in boxes and the other half has been destroyed._

_“Of course.”_

_I crawl onto her bed and bury myself beneath the burgundy sheets. They’re cool and comforting. I almost forget why I couldn’t stand to be alone. Setsuna walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, regarding me without a word._

_“Seriously? A rabbit on the moon?” I repeat while burying my head in the pillows._

_Setsuna smoothes my hair and smiles. This time she is genuinely amused. “Oh, yes. And talking cats, too.”_

**♆**

Duffel bag swung over her shoulder, Michiru walked at a brisk pace to her apartment from the station. She wasn’t sure if she could still consider it her apartment, since she had moved in with Haruka without a contract stating the arrangement was temporary. Then there was the matter of Setsuna’s work colleague having effectively moved into her bedroom. The thought did not unsettle her as much as she had expected. Living with Haruka made her happier than she ever would have expected. And Ms. Hino staying with Setsuna meant she wasn’t lonely, at the very least. 

The spring air was warm enough to combat the chill brought on by her hair, still damp from swim practice. She dug her new cell phone out of her purse to continue browse through her emails. There was a group email chain involving the entire art club. The recent catastrophe revived the discussion. Michiru rarely spoke in it, but she read every message. The most recent one was from Elizabeth, expressing her gratitude that there had been no casualties. Many of their classmates were currently hospitalized. They had begun collecting money to donate for medical bills, but once Michiru mentioned it to Haruka the billionaire stepped in and contacted all the families to notify them she would personally handle those finances. 

That gesture, of course, had earned Michiru dozens of thankful emails. Michiru ignored them. After all, it wasn’t as if she had coerced Haruka into that charitable gesture. That was the sort of person Haruka was. 

There was also a meddlesome email from NYU’s most outspoken journalist, Alana Ferguson, seeking gossip to sink her claws into. Rumors about the magical women battling monsters were spreading like wildfire. Michiru wanted little to do with Alana’s meddling. In fact, she hoped Ms. Ferguson never unearthed the truth about the woman with the garnet orb and the one who controlled fire. 

This mystery was for her and Haruka to unravel. No one else. 

Choosing not to engage Alana or her fellow art club members, Michiru opened the text conversation she was currently engaged in with Haruka. She almost felt guilty for distracting Haruka from work. She kept replying, so Michiru kept the messages going. 

_Has anyone noticed you didn’t bind today?_

_No one’s said anything._ Haruka’s response was soon followed by another. _I doubt anyone’s going to say anything to my face._

 _Want to take bets on how much longer it’ll be before your breasts are the discussion of all the gossip columns?_ Michiru asked, only half-joking. She turned the corner around the apartment complex, looking up toward the window she knew belonged to her destination. 

_I don’t want to think about it._

Michiru thought Haruka’s recent decision to stop binding her breasts was brave and commendable. After their car ride yesterday, Haruka proclaimed her decision to stop binding them. In her mind, it was another part of the invisible mask she had unwittingly been wearing for years. Michiru did not disagree, in fact, she encouraged Haruka to be true to herself. If that meant not hiding her femininity from the world, then Michiru backed her entirely. 

On the other hand, she was realistic and understood it was bound to be a public relations nightmare once the narrow-minded and relentless media caught on. 

_I hope this doesn’t mean you’ll stop wearing suits._

_Of course not._

Michiru smiled to herself after reading that message. If Haruka wanted to start dressing more feminine in public, Michiru would certainly support her. However, something about Haruka wearing men’s suits gave her lascivious thoughts no matter the time of day or what she was doing. 

She ascended the stairs to the apartment and readjusted her duffel bag strap once more. 

_I’m getting my sketchbook then I’ll be home._ Typing those words made her anxious to be back in Haruka’s arms already. 

_Ok. See you after work._

Conversation effectively over, Michiru replaced her cell with the apartment keys. She stood at the door and tested the knob. It was unlocked. 

Setsuna never left it unlocked. Whether the residence was vacant or not. Perhaps Rei was not as dedicated to security as her guardian, Michiru reasoned as she let herself in without locking the door behind her. 

“Setsuna? Ms. Hino?” She dropped her bag and turned on the lights, erasing the darkness. Sensing neither of them were present, Michiru made her way to her bedroom. 

The artist was appalled with herself for forgetting to bring her illustration pad with her to Haruka’s. Truthfully, it had completely slipped her mind. This particular pad was the one she used to sleep with. Whenever a vivid or disturbing dream jolted her awake, she would grab it and frantically release the images in her mind through the tip of a pencil. 

After moving in with Haruka, she began to sleep. At long last, her nights were long and restful. When she did dream, the visions washed her with a sedated happiness she had never experienced before. 

Until she saw it. That woman’s staff the night of the ruined fundraiser. Michiru recognized the object from her dreams instantly; an elaborate, heart-shaped adornment with a smooth garnet orb in its center. It was the symbol from her dreams. An item that, along with the sword and the mirror, she had drawn over and over until her fingertips were raw. 

Michiru flicked the light to her bedroom on. There were a few hints signifying someone else was occupying her old room: a suitcase tucked away in the corner, a laptop and personal effects on the dresser, and a half-full glass of water on the nightstand. 

Knowing exactly where she left her sketchbook, Michiru turned to the nightstand and opened the top drawer. The item in question was waiting where she left it. Michiru scooped it up and immediately began sorting through it. Every drawing was a story of a restless night, told through countless lines and images. She flipped through each drawing until she found the page she sought. 

Michiru stared at the large garnet orb on the page. She vaguely recalled the hundreds of times she circled the red colored pencil, around and around, not stopping until the entire sphere was blood red. Her finger traced the small heart she had drawn at the apex of her dream creation. 

This jewel. This adornment. Michiru knew it was on the strange woman’s staff. Though she was running in the opposite direction, through the gaping hole left behind by the mysterious explosion, Michiru saw the silver rod’s decorative curves glistening in the fire’s orange glow. 

The couple, wearing strange white bodices and impeccably short skirts, both had long, billowing hair. But the woman holding the rod... Her long, shapely legs, tan skin, and emerald hair could only belong to one person. 

The sound of a single water drop pierced the silence. Michiru jumped in her own skin at the subtle sound. Annoyed with herself, she shut the sketchpad closed and turned to leave. 

Movement from the corner of her eye gave her pause. Michiru looked to the nightstand. The water in the glass was moving, seemingly of its own accord. The surface rippled. Water crashed against its circular prison, churning and splashing. 

Michiru’s throat tightened. The night she almost drowned in the pool, the water had been acting erratically. It was, she innately knew, warning her of danger. 

Pulse skyrocketing, Michiru turned to flee the room. 

A lone figure stood in the doorway. Startled, Michiru dropped her sketchbook. 

“Who are you?” 

The intruder stepped closer. It was a woman, slouching forward. Wavy amber hair brushed her shoulders as her bowed head shook. A disturbed voice, more unsettling than nails against a chalkboard, spoke. “Haruka… Haruka is mine.”

Michiru frowned. Her heart was beating out of her chest. The mention of Haruka gave her pause. “How did you get in here?”

The petite woman reached into the pocket of her long yellow trench coat. She slowly withdrew a keychain. Michiru recognized it instantly.

It was Setsuna’s. 

The stranger raised her head, revealing a pair of round jasper eyes for the first time. “Your protector forgot these the last time we played…”

Michiru’s eyes widened when she realized what day the woman was referencing. 

Her birthday. Injured by a mysterious incident, Setsuna had made her way to the apartment, claiming she had ‘misplaced’ her keys. 

And here they were, in the possession of this stranger who claimed to know Haruka. 

“Who are you?” Michiru pressed again, raising her voice and clenching her fists. 

“Haruka used to call me ‘Mimi’…” the woman’s shrill voice escalated. “But you can call me Mimete!”

Mimete extended her arm. The large sleeve of her coat flapped as she conjured artificial wind around her arm. A flash of black light blinded Michiru for a brief moment. When she opened her eyes again, Mimete was wielding a golden staff featuring a looped tip. 

“What…?” Michiru fumbled backwards. Her mind scrambled to find a shred of sanity in what she thought she was witnessing. 

Mimete’s forehead featured a black, swirling void. The symbol was nonsensical. Once Michiru laid her eyes on the whorling black vortex, her forehead began to burn. The sudden pain made her eyes water. 

“And look… No one’s here to protect you now.” Mimete’s thin frame shook inside her oversized coat as she giggled. 

Michiru was unsure what she meant, but her attacker was right. They were alone. Michiru did not know what to make of this. Her senses must be betraying her. No one could make a weapon appear from nothing, or have magical symbols appear on their forehead. This couldn’t be real.

Whether this was a dream or not, the adrenaline coursing through her veins was undeniable.

“I don’t know what you’re--”

“Shut up!” Mimete screeched. The sheer volume of her scream was inhuman. Michiru raised her hands to protect her ears from the noise, but what she saw next paralyzed her with fear.

The golden staff vibrated. A ball of what Michiru could only assume to be electricity formed around its head. Mimete swung the staff over her head, aiming it straight for Michiru. 

There was nowhere for Michiru to run. She stood, stupefied and paralyzed. Forehead ready to split and mind overwhelmed with swirling visions, Michiru could only pray that this was the most realistic dream of her lifetime, and that she would awaken before the magic destroyed her.

It was time to wake up. 

Michiru fell to her knees, clutching her forehead. Blue light poured from between her fingers, casting an all-too familiar symbol on the floor before her. 

The light. 

Michiru remembered the light pouring from Haruka’s forehead at the masquerade ball. It was gold, not blue… but it resonated from her forehead, just like this. Maybe she hadn’t imagined it after all. 

“Maybe this will jog your memory!” Mimete cast the ball of deadly energy toward Michiru. The detonative magic tore open the floorboards as it raced across the space between them with lightning speed. 

Consigned to death, Michiru bowed her head. 

_Haruka… Uranus…_

“Garnet Ball!” 

Splintering wood and shattering glass surrounded them. A deafening explosion engulfed her surroundings, effectively destroying the entire apartment complex. Michiru clenched her eyes tight, too afraid to look death in the eye.

Except death’s sweet embrace never came. 

Michiru gingerly opened her eyes. Absolute chaos surrounded her. 

The cyan light emanating from her forehead disappeared. She was shrouded in a crimson aura, floating above the remains of where her bedroom floor was supposed to be. The otherworldly attack that should have killed her fizzled around a protective sphere. 

“Shit!” Michiru thought she was going to be sick when she glanced down at the emptiness below her. She was suspended in a vacuum, defying gravity. Her insides churned as she floated inside a ball of magical red energy. She looked above, finding the ceiling blown away. 

The full moon illuminated the tattered remains of the apartment.

Refusing to believe her eyes, Michiru turned her head, noticing a pair of boots beside her. Her eyes followed the knee-length white boots, catching a glimpse of tan thighs wrapped in a dark skirt. Around the woman’s waist was a metallic chain. Peculiar keys and syringes dangled from it. Billowing verdant hair surrounded a white bodice. A peculiar, dark burgundy bow decorated the center of her chest. 

Clutched in her savior’s hand was a silver staff, decorated with the ornament that had haunted her dreams for months. 

Michiru hesitated, afraid to gaze upon the woman’s remarkable, stunning visage, because it meant she could no longer deny the truth.

The woman with the garnet orb was Setsuna Meiou; Her guardian, her mentor, her friend. 

“S-Setsuna?” Michiru grimaced before clutching her forehead again. 

“You!” Mimete’s scream resonated above the roar of the building collapsing around them. “Where’s Viluy?”

Michiru gazed upon Setsuna’s burgundy eyes. Setsuna, or whoever she was, radiated a mysterious, ominous power. It was discomforting and strange. Michiru felt as if she was frozen in time within this protective red void, in a separate world from the aggressor only a few yards before them. 

“There is no Viluy, imposter!” Setsuna returned the screeches with a commanding tone Michiru did not recognize. “Reveal your true form!”

Clutching her golden staff in both hands, Mimete raised it above her head. The alien energy swarmed around its tip again, illuminating the shaft with a brilliant, lethal glow. “You can’t hide inside that ball forever!”

Setsuna grimaced as another attack launched toward them. Michiru looked down, remembering the floor beneath them was gone. A wave of nausea struck her as she floated weightlessly, staring down at a pile of debris floors below them. Michiru reached out, clinging to Setsuna’s leg as the orb protecting them glowed a deeper crimson against the onslaught. 

“If she won’t wake up, then I’ll just kill you both! And Uranus, too!” 

_Haruka… Uranus…_

How could this stranger know who they were?

Michiru opened her eyes in time to see Mimette’s crazed face sneering at her from the opposite side of the garnet shield. Her face was close enough for Michiru to see every wrinkle and every strand of electrically-charged hair. Her weapon struck their shield, assaulting it with damaging energy.

Michiru flinched when Mimete’s attack created a large fissure in their barrier. With a groan of effort, Mimete’s staff pierced their barrier and the magic that went along with it. 

“Michiru!” 

Setsuna’s concentration broke and the protective sphere around them disappeared. 

Gravity regained control. Michiru found herself plummeting. Hands outstretched, reaching for Setsuna’s hand, she grasped only air as she began falling to her death. 

Setsuna dove toward her, flying through the air as if she were a bullet. 

Instead of her life flashing before her eyes, Michiru witnessed countless visions and places and people who had no names. A solemn castle. A glowing silver crystal. Women wearing strange outfits like Setsuna, wielding elements in magical battles. Waterfalls and ocean baths she could swim in forever. 

Delirious and confused, Michiru could only giggle at the absurdity of it all. 

Her parents did not exist. This planet. This lifetime. These people. None of them were real. None except Setsuna, appearing as she did now; a beautiful soldier wielding a garnet rod. And Haruka--no, Uranus-- her Heavenly Warrior. Fighting alongside her through the silence.

Beyond Setsuna’s grave face reaching for her, the moon twinkled in the night sky. Celestial bodies spread out infinitely above them. The silver light warmed her frightened soul, showing her something she had been blind to her entire life.

The moon’s face transformed, showing Michiru what Setsuna had tried telling her years ago. 

“I see her, Setsuna… The rabbit on the moon,” Michiru whispered with a smile. 

Blistering heat caressed her falling body. Michiru had always thought death would be frigid and still, not brimstone and dancing flames. 

Michiru sighed as the burning fire consumed her.

**♆**

“Michiru… Michiru…”

This was not death. Nor was it a dream. Reality tugged her from the depths of oblivion. Warmth, not the hellish flames she remembered, but more like sunlight, splayed across her aching forehead. 

A hand pressed against her cheek. Familiar electric sparks burst from the contact, reinvigorating her. 

Haruka was here. It was time to wake up. 

Michiru’s heavy eyelids opened. Haruka’s concerned face hovered above. Sandy bangs brushed against concerned, stormy grey eyes. 

“You’re finally awake! How do you feel?”

Michiru couldn’t answer the question, given that she was still disconnected from her body. She managed to move her head. Pain stabbed through her eyes, reminding Michiru that she was still, somehow, alive. 

“Setsuna said she found you on the floor of the apartment, passed out. Why didn’t you tell me about your headaches?” Haruka squeezed Michiru’s hand. The energy between them traveled through Michiru’s arm, shocking her chest. Her heart palpitated wildly before settling into its natural rhythm.

Haruka’s energy revitalized her. Pounding headache aside, Michiru felt normal again. With Haruka’s help, she settled into a sitting position. A quick glance at their surroundings told her she was in her scarcely-used bedroom in Haruka’s house. 

“I passed out?” Michiru blinked. She racked her brain, trying to remember. Everything after texting Haruka on her way to the apartment drew nothing more than a blank. “How long have I been here?”

“Setsuna brought you here last night. You’ve been sleeping ever since. It’s almost noon.” 

Michiru said nothing. As she sat prone, trying to process Haruka’s words, she felt the reassuring arms of her lover wrap around her shoulders. 

“Can I get you anything? Need some water?”

Haruka’s innocent questions sparked a brief memory. 

The glass of water in her room, warning her.

Michiru leapt to her feet and looked around the bedroom. “My sketchbook! I need it.”

“What?” Haruka’s handsome face appeared wilted and exhausted. Michiru assumed she stayed up all night watching her. 

However, now was not the time to feel guilty. “My illustrations! The reason I went back to the apartment in the first place.”

Haruka shrugged helplessly. “Setsuna didn’t say anything about that. But she did bring your duffel bag.”

Michiru paced the length of the bed. Her hands fidgeted. She took deep, meditative breaths. Eyes closed, she envisioned the mysterious spectre she had to capture on paper before the memory was lost.

“I need to draw.” 

Forgetting Haruka was in the room, Michiru made her way to the blank easel in the corner. She grabbed a pencil from its tray and began to draw. Once the lead tip touched the white easel, Michiru was lost to the world. 

Haruka patiently watched on. She fetched water and food. Michiru ignored the nourishment. Food and drink could wait. She continued to work for another hour, oblivious to the time. Haruka napped on the bed, leaving Michiru to her work. 

Aside from sharpening her pencil, Michiru did not stop. The lead wore down to the nub thanks to her insistence on capturing her subject’s beige skin and dark locks of hair flowing down to her knees. 

“Oh my god,” Haruka murmured behind Michiru while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

Michiru finally stopped. The illustration was now complete. While stretching her fingers, she studied the likeness of the woman who saved her life. 

“It’s… Setsuna,” Haruka realized. Michiru looked up at her, gauging her reaction. Haruka furrowed her brow and shook her head. “I don’t understand. Did you dream this?”

Dream? 

No. It couldn’t have been a dream. Everything was too real. The magic. Mimete. Setsuna, or whoever she was, wielding a garnet rod. Michiru’s frightening plummet to the ground. 

“It wasn’t a dream. I was attacked.”

“Attacked?!” Haruka leapt up and grabbed Michiru’s shoulders. Concern and rage swirled in her tumultuous eyes. “Attacked by who?”

Michiru tensed. “She said you called her Mimi.”

Haruka’s face fell. She released her hold on Michiru’s shoulders. All of the energy drained from her body. Michiru stared as Haruka slouched back onto the bed. 

The drastic change in Haruka’s demeanor told Michiru everything she needed to know. 

Face buried in her hands, Haruka mumbled one word. “Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fight scene in the apartment was inspired by the scene in 50 Shades when Ana is confronted by one of Christian's old subs. But it takes a completely different turn in this version. ;p


	19. The Woman With the Garnet Orb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka and Michiru try getting some answers.

**♅**

“Shit.” 

Haruka’s jaw and fists clenched as she processed everything Michiru told her. She thought that phase of her life was finally over. Haruka’s former submissives had faded into a distant dream that felt like a separate lifetime. 

Until now. 

Michiru remained her serene, patient self as she waited for Haruka to explain. Haruka stared at her hands, wondering how to unearth this tale that had managed to remain buried until now. 

Yes, she was angry the skeletons in her closet she thought were gone insisted on popping back up. But more than that, Michiru was now unwittingly involved. A swirling vortex of anger filled her chest. Michiru’s safety could not be compromised because of her previous relationships. Haruka would not allow it. 

Two hands, cooling and calming, wrapped around her fists. Haruka looked up to find Michiru was sitting beside her. The composed, unassuming look Michiru cast in her direction somewhat abated her rage. 

As was customary when Haruka stared into the endless blue universe behind Michiru’s eyes, she lost herself. There was something, more than the electricity between them, pulling Haruka into the secrets locked away inside of her. 

Haruka cleared her throat. Michiru deserved the world. But at the very least, she deserved an explanation. 

“Mimi— I mean, Mimete— was my last submissive. She was also the only one who wanted to extend the two month contract. I turned her down.”

Michiru did not interrupt. She slowly worked her fingers inside of Haruka’s fists. Her fingers trickled between Haruka’s fingers like water, relieving the tension. 

“I turned her down, because, well,” Haruka swallowed, “that’s when my dreams became more… consuming. I also… there was something about her that bothered me. She was obsessive and clingy and we didn’t connect at all. I cut her off. Tried to, anyway.”

“Tried to?” Michiru tilted her head. 

“Mimete began stalking me. Showing up uninvited. Joshua and the other security guards were kicking her off the premises at least once a week.”

“Oh my,” Michiru crooned, pensive. “Did you file a restraining order?”

Haruka shook her head. “I almost did. Mimete works for Kaori. So I told Kaori if she couldn’t get through to her I’d have no choice but to take legal action. Thankfully, Kaori was able to rein her in. Or so I thought. Mimete hasn’t bothered me for months. I swear, Michiru, I never thought she would be a threat or would attack anyone, I’d never—“

“Shh.” Michiru pressed two fingers against Haruka’s lips. “You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

Haruka frowned. It most certainly was her fault. Michiru withdrew her hand, but Haruka remained quiet. Michiru was frowning in thought. Something was churning inside of her mind, and Haruka assumed it had to do with the Setsuna, or her magical doppelgänger, illustrated on the easel. 

“It still…” Michiru closed her eyes. “It still doesn’t make sense.”

“Why? What do you remember?”

Michiru stood. Arms crossed, she floated to the canvas and stared at the strange drawing. “On my birthday. Setsuna couldn’t get into the apartment because she lost her keys. Remember?”

“How could I forget?” Haruka grumbled. Setsuna’s crumpled, bloody form slumped against the closed door was an image she could never erase from her memory. 

“Well, Mimete had them. That’s how she got inside the apartment. When I arrived, the front door was unlocked.”

“She stole Setsuna’s keys?!” Haruka’s temper flared. This was out of hand. Haruka’s mind raced as she considered how she was going to take care of this issue when Kaori wasn’t returning her calls or texts. Haruka was going to have to invade each and every one of Kaori’s known properties, demanding answers.

“How would she have gotten them?” Michiru continued her train of thought, not seeming to notice Haruka’s outburst. “Setsuna said she had a work accident. So what would Mimete have to do with that?”

Haruka’s anger withered in favor of joining Michiru’s serious pondering. She walked behind Michiru, eyes locking with the amazing figure on the canvas. Haruka wrapped her arms around Michiru’s shoulders from behind. 

“If Mimete has been stalking you since we’ve been together, then she would know about Setsuna. She probably just followed Setsuna and snatched the keys when she dropped them. Or Setsuna lied about the nature of her accident.”

“Maybe…” Michiru’s tone told Haruka she was not convinced. Haruka buried her face in the teal waves of Michiru’s hair, inhaling her sweet and salty scent for a peaceful moment before Michiru pulled away. 

“This is who saved me last night!” Michiru stood beside the illustration and pointed. “And she’s also one of the two women that was at the charity ball the other night. The strange outfit, the long hair… the staff and the red orb. I don’t know how, but she’s Setsuna. Her skin and hair and the way she looked at me… It has to be her.” 

Michiru was pacing now. Haruka wasn’t sure what to think, except that Michiru was suffering. Suffering like she was. Intense headaches and realistic dreams bleeding into the real world must be having a detrimental effect on Michiru, too. 

Haruka was already losing her sanity to this madness. She had no idea how to save Michiru when she was also drowning. 

Haruka also couldn’t deny she saw the pair of women. The tall one, with emerald hair reaching her knees wielding the strange weapon, certainly resembled Michiru’s guardian from behind. 

“Okay… So how did she save you? What happened?” Haruka asked with as level a tone as she could muster. Whatever happened—or whatever Michiru believed happened—was obviously weighing heavily on the artist’s mind. 

Michiru picked up the pencil and tapped the eraser against the intricate adornment decorating the top of the silver staff. Haruka stared at the weapon, feeling twinges of pain behind her eyes. 

“This. I’ve seen it in my dreams and drawn it so many times. It seems to be the source of her power.”

“Like magic?” Haruka arched an eyebrow. 

Michiru tossed the pencil and sighed. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true! You were right; Setsuna is hiding things from me. But I think it’s something much bigger than what she does for NASA.”

Haruka reflected on her tense meeting with Setsuna and Rei when she picked up Michiru’s new cell phone. The vague, cryptic words Setsuna spoke about Michiru’s safety and the fate of the galaxy seemed like an extreme excuse to shut Haruka up. But, for reasons Haruka didn’t entirely understand, she believed her. Not because she chose to, but because she knew it was the truth. 

Uranus. That’s what Setsuna called her; spoken like a name or a revered title. Uranus was also her name to the aquatic, unparalleled goddess in her dreams that she also believed to be true and real, whether she was Michiru or not. 

The way Haruka felt when she laid eyes on Michiru’s painting of Uranus… The gold and blue ball of gas and sand called out to her like a kindred spirit. 

No, not a kindred spirit. A missing piece of her own spirit. 

Haruka dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. It didn’t do much for the exhaustion. She stayed awake all night watching over Michiru. Conveniently, it also kept her away from masked Neptune, who hadn’t visited her dreams since she shared the most vulnerable, hidden part of herself with Michiru.

“So what do you want to do?” Haruka asked at length when Michiru’s pacing was beginning to wear track marks into the floor. 

Michiru stopped and stared at Haruka with frightening, intimidating resolve. “We’re going to get answers.”

**♅**

Haruka sipped her mocha latte, enjoying the tranquil silence as Michiru leaned against her in the backseat of the car. She periodically felt Joshua’s eyes on her in the rearview mirror while he drove. Sunglasses shrouded his expression, but the upward tug at the corner of his lips told her he approved. 

After purchasing hot lattes at Two Moons Cafe, where they had their first date, Joshua was now escorting them to Setsuna’s apartment. Michiru was plucking small pieces from the top of a blueberry muffin and popping them into her mouth. Haruka felt palpable waves of confusion and tension emanating from her partner. 

Given Michiru’s explanation of events, told via text so Joshua would not overhear, it was no surprise. Haruka had a hard time believing the fantastical tale Michiru wove. But, given the strange series of events Haruka had witnessed lately, coupled with how understanding of her own unusual issues Michiru had been thus far, she decided to take her story seriously. 

If what Michiru said truly did occur, well, there wouldn’t be much of a studio apartment left to return to. When Haruka let herself believe it, and considered that the unexplained attacks at the exhibit and the university were likely aimed at Michiru as well, her blood began to boil. 

If Haruka could agree with Setsuna on one thing, it was that Michiru’s safety was of the utmost importance. In fact, nothing was more important. 

Realizing Mimete might be the root cause of all the violence, Haruka shook with guilt and anger. Mimete had been persistent and obsessive, but Haruka never would have thought she could be violent. If she had any inclination of that, she would have made sure Mimete was put away months ago. 

Haruka reached her free hand up to stroke Michiru’s hair in time for her cell phone to ring.  
Her hand redirected its course to the pocket of her John Varvatos leather jacket. 

“Tenoh here,” Haruka answered the phone with her stern professional voice. 

_“Good afternoon, sir.”_

Haruka recognized the voice as belonging to her assistant of almost three years: Jennifer Thompson. 

“Good afternoon Ms. Thompson.”

_“I am calling with time and date confirmation for your tour and photo session of the new domestic violence shelter in Delhi. Monday, at 9:00 AM. Shall I book you a flight?”_

“No, I’ll take my helicopter.”

Michiru’s head perked up from Haruka’s shoulder. Her teal eyebrows perked up in surprise, causing the tycoon to chuckle. Apparently Haruka had failed to mention she owned and piloted helicopters. 

_“Very good, sir,”_ Jennifer replied. 

“Anything else?” Haruka prompted when the line went silent. 

_“Ah, yes… There was one other thing…”_

The hesitation in her voice gave Haruka pause. Jennifer was a no-nonsense, to the point employee. To hear her afraid to mention something was a rare occurrence that warranted concern. 

“Is something the matter?” Haruka asked. Michiru and Joshua were now both honing into the conversation.

_“PR has forwarded inquiries from a dozen or so media outlets. People, US Weekly, Shukan Bunshun, BBC News… the list goes on.”_

Haruka stifled a groan. Shukan Bunshun, a popular weekly tabloid in Japan, was well-known for its salacious “news” reportings about celebrities. If they were involved, Haruka already knew exactly what this was about. 

“What do they want to know?”

 _“They, ah… claim to have eyewitness accounts and photographs of you from yesterday that seem to indicate you have, ah…. breasts.”_ Poor Jennifer. Haruka could feel her squirming through the phone. _“Do you wish to issue a statement, sir?”_

Haruka cast a glance to Michiru. Her unwavering support shone through her eyes. “Yes. Ready? Here it is: quote, ‘Man or woman, what does it matter?’ End quote.”

 _“That’s it, sir?”_ Haruka felt her dread as she imagined responding to Public Relations with such a vague, and baiting, response. 

“That’s it. And if PR doesn’t like that answer, tell Dominguez he is more than welcome to call me personally.” 

_“I doubt Director Dominguez would question your statement, sir,”_ Jennifer retorted, sounding more relaxed. 

“Arrange for me to take the chopper for a test run tomorrow afternoon at two. Then take the afternoon off. You sound stressed.”

 _“Thank you, Mr. Tenoh,”_ Mr. Thompson’s voice echoed in the car before Haruka ended the call. 

“That didn’t take long,” Haruka mused while returning her cell to her jacket pocket. “Jennifer sounded completely mortified asking me that question.”

“She was rather rude to me when I came to interview,” Michiru quipped with what Haruka interpreted as a smug smirk. 

The caffeine, food, and diversion to Haruka’s gender identity improved Michiru’s mood. With one of her hands on Haruka’s leg, she peered out the window as Joshua pulled into the parking lot beside the building. 

Everything appeared as normal. Before Haruka could comment, Michiru was out of the car and heading for the stairwell. 

“We won’t be long,” Haruka told Joshua, who curtly nodded in response. 

Haruka rushed out of the car and assumed a brisk jog to catch up to Michiru. “Michiru!”

The swimmer was in a daze. She climbed the staircase and marched down the hallway towards her destination; eyebrows furrowed and seething. Haruka couldn’t help but notice the building was intact and appeared no different than usual. This fact was not lost to Michiru, who appeared to be silently fuming and bewildered all at once. 

Haruka caught up to her when she was forced to pause and unlock the door. 

They entered the familiar apartment to find Rei Hino, cell phone against her ear, watching them enter. Setsuna’s work colleague had her long, massive locks braided and slung over her left shoulder. Similar to the day they met, she wore an unassuming red top and form-fitting denim. Her violet eyes were as disconcerting as ever. 

“I have to go,” Rei spoke into her phone and abruptly ended the call. 

Flames flickered against Haruka’s flesh, flirting and laughing. She began unzipping her jacket to combat the unnatural heat she always felt while in this woman’s presence, but Michiru was marching with purpose towards her bedroom. 

Hands buried in the pockets of her suit pants, Haruka followed Michiru into the bedroom. The bed was made, her old stereo was sitting on the nightstand, and the calendar hung, unperturbed, in the same spot Haruka remembered. 

Nothing appeared as it should, according to Michiru’s recollection of the previous night. By her account, there should have been a gaping hole across most of the apartment, no ceiling, and debris everywhere. 

The normalcy of the entire building set Michiru off. On the outside she appeared as normal. Haruka, however, felt the spike in friction and saw the gears grinding behind her level azure gaze. 

Michiru studied the floorboards, below her bed, and even looked out the window. Still fuming, she approached the nightstand beside her bed and opened all the drawers.

“It’s not here,” Michiru whispered. Her eyes darted from her dresser to the floor. 

“What’s not here?” Haruka asked as Michiru brushed past her in a hurry back to the living room. 

“Where is my sketchbook?” Michiru demanded. Rei, who had moved to the couch with Setsuna’s laptop opened on her thighs, leaned back with a sigh. 

The mysterious shrine maiden was already annoyed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Michiru pointed through Haruka, into her bedroom. “I was standing right there, looking at my book, when I was attacked. Where did it go?”

Michiru’s tone sent shivers down Haruka’s spine. She had never seen this side of her lover before. Michiru was forthright, cold, and was not about to back down in spite of Rei’s disinterest. 

Rei closed the laptop. “When Setsuna and I arrived, you were unconscious on the floor. There were no signs of a struggle. And no book.”

Haruka inwardly grimaced. Neither of these iron-willed women were willing to budge an inch. The tension, thick and palpable, grew as their staredown prolonged. 

Growing impatient, Haruka intervened. “If you won’t help us, we’ll speak to Setsuna. Where is she?”

“Working,” Rei answered without elaborating. Haruka knew she was being obstinate on purpose. That much was clear. 

Michiru’s frustration, bubbling beneath her stern veneer, triggered Haruka’s aggression. If Setsuna and her assistant were going to hold back information that was affecting Michiru’s wellbeing, Haruka was going to let them know it was unacceptable. 

“Listen.” Haruka inserted herself between Michiru and Rei’s seated body. Her tall form leaned over Rei confrontationally. “Michiru said she was attacked, and she knows the woman’s name. So either you and Setsuna start talking or I’ll hire as many investigators and spend as much money as it takes to get the truth. You’re fucking around with Michiru’s safety. I’m tired of it.”

“Instead of wasting time and resources, perhaps your efforts would be better spent in self-reflection.” 

Rei’s cryptic response caught Haruka off-guard. Michiru tensed as well. Rei’s nod to self-reflection told Haruka that, despite the contract and her efforts to keep her personal life confidential, they somehow knew about Mimete. 

If they knew about Haruka’s most recent submissive, what else could they know? 

The jab at Haruka’s poor choice in previous relationships hit too close to home. The guilt Haruka felt while speaking to Michiru earlier returned with a vengeance. 

Haruka glared at Rei, narrowing her pale blue eyes. Rei’s disposition changed. She did not wither, but shifted. Her detached annoyance changed, resembling Setsuna in that she assumed a timeless, concerned demeanor that made Haruka’s forehead itch. 

“Let’s go,” Haruka bristled. She took Michiru’s hand and stormed out of the room. Michiru stiffened at first, but followed along behind her. 

“I thought you didn’t believe me,” Michiru spoke unevenly as they hurried down the stairs. 

“I never said that,” Haduka replied defensively. She had been skeptical, sure, but she was always going to side with Michiru no matter the circumstances. 

Michiru was already in motion, calling Setsuna’s phone. They stood beside the idled car where Joshua waited inside. Haruka assumed Setsuna wouldn’t answer; she rarely did when Michiru called during daylight hours. 

“Call me when you have time. We need to talk.” Michiru shoved the phone into her pocket. “This is maddening. We need to do something. what Rei said… How could she have known about Mimete?”

“I don’t know.” Haruka leaned against the closed passenger side door. She put her sunglasses on to hide the anger and guilt fuming inside of her. “Kaori’s people always managed to keep my old personal life under wraps. It was always one of my conditions, but… obviously something slipped through the cracks. If Mimete and Setsuna had a run-in before, she probably said something to Setsuna.”

Michiru’s eyes traveled to the sky, presumably studying the cotton clouds above them. “That would be the most logical conclusion.”

Haruka’s headache intensified. “Anyway, I have all of my security personnel searching for her. I tried giving Kaori a chance to deal with it internally, but she hasn’t returned my calls or texts since the masquerade ball. I can’t help but think she knows something.”

Haruka was pulled from her reverie when she felt Michiru’s arms snaking around her waist. The shorter woman fit her legs between Haruka’s and craned her neck to look up at her. “It’s not your fault.”

Despite the welcoming warmth of her petite body and the unwavering, intuitive expression on her face, Haruka scoffed. She turned her gaze toward the sun, unable to look at Michiru while imagining her previous fling assaulting her.

“We both know there’s much more going on here,” Michiru continued when Haruka couldn’t find her voice. Haruka felt a cool palm against the back of her neck. Five fingers fondled the short hairs on the back of her head. 

Haruka tried wallowing in her misery for a little while longer. Michiru’s calming grace eventually won out. Haruka could not stop from leaning into her healing touch. “I’m done playing Setsuna and Rei’s game. I’ll hire my own people and see if we can get some answers.”

Michiru nodded. 

“I hate depending on other people to get answers,” Haruka opened up as Michiru stroked her hair. 

“You depend on a lot of people you employ to get results.”

“That’s different. I can intervene when necessary. Anyway, that’s not related to your safety. I don’t know what else to do… Besides not let you out of my sight ever again.”

“Hmm… Is that a promise?” Michiru purred with a lascivious curl of her irresistible lips. 

Haruka groaned. That seductive hum always stirred the deepest, most intimate parts of her. Michiru’s body melded into hers, eliciting that erotic lightning bolt Haruka had come to expect whenever they touched. 

“I’m with you. No matter what.” Haruka felt her answer was broad and obtuse; but it was true. She never wanted Michiru out of her sight, selfish and unrealistic as that expectation was. 

The thought of being separated reminded Haruka of Jennifer’s phone call. 

“Shit,” Haruka cursed under her breath.

“What?” 

“I’m supposed to fly to India this weekend. I have to tour the—“ 

“Yes. I’ll come with you,” Michiru answered before she had a chance to ask. Haruka felt the familiar tug on her striped tie, signaling Michiru wanted a kiss. As always, Haruka obliged. 

Their lips met. Every fear and insecurity plaguing her was no match against Michiru’s power. 

The car horn honked. Haruka and Michiru jumped in surprise. Laughing, Joshua got out of the black vehicle and adjusted his shades. 

“Come on, boss. You promised to buy me TexMex for dinner.”

“I’m hungry too.” Michiru gave Haruka a sly wink before disengaging herself. 

Haruka wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to keep up with Michiru’s mercurial attitude. Or her voracious appetite. 

She cleared her throat and opened the car door for the woman who stole her heart. “Dinner first, Michiru.”

**♅**

_Ocean waves lap at my cheeks, washing away the traces of sleep from my face. I deeply inhale the scent of her; vowing to never forget. No matter how much time lapses between our next meeting, I shall never forget the smell and taste of her._

_A naked goddess is beside me. An ethereal mermaid with legs. Her state of undress subconsciously registers in my mind._

_I’m already familiar with every dip and curve of this body._

_This is Michiru’s body._

_In a sudden state of panic I look for her face. It’s there, resting on her bent elbow above layers of silk sheets, smiling at me._

_There is no mask. This is Michiru’s face._

_“M-Michiru?”_

_“Michiru? Confusing me with other women already, are you?” She doesn’t seem upset by my blunder. In fact, she’s amused. And distracted. I feel one of her hands wandering beneath the bed sheets concealing my lower body._

_With a squirm, I realize I’m also nude._

_“But I thought—“_

_“Uranus,” she admonishes as if scolding a toddler. “Things are never that simple, you should realize.”_

_A pair of fingers walks down my belly, past my navel. I’m more relaxed than I’ve ever been in these dreams with her. The orchestra’s music is still playing somewhere in the castle._

_Still, her words confound me. “I guess you’re right.”_

_“You were worth the wait,” she huskily whispers. Whether it’s her or Michiru speaking, I can’t say._

_“I don’t understand. You’re… you’re the same. But you’re not? Which is it?”_

_“It is as you said.” A lilting giggle echoes through the room. “We are one, but we are not. Not yet.”_

_She rolls over, pinning me beneath her without moving her hand from between my legs. I sink into the bed beneath her weight._

_Her fingers enter me and I’m already drowning._

_“We’ll meet again soon, my love.”_

_“Neptune?” I moan, questioning, unable to stop thinking even as she strokes me to orgasm._

_Salt and seduction claim me. My fingers slip against her, desperate for something tangible to cling to._

_Neptune._

_Michiru._

_“You are mine,” she whispers in my ear as our bodies become one. “Say it.”_

_“I am…” She disappears. All I see are stars. “Yours.”_

_She owns me._

_In this lifetime or the next. On any planet, in any timeline._

_I will always be hers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not an incredibly exciting chapter this round. Consider this the calm before the storm.


	20. A Sailor Senshi Awakens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the chapter title says it all.

**♆**

The lioness stalked circles around her prone prey. The tips of her heels clicked against the floor with deliberate, menacing precision. She twisted a black leather handle against her palm, familiarizing herself with its girth and weight. Her fingers slipped through the whip’s thin leather tails as she pondered which bit of flesh she would strike first. 

She halted her intimidating march while regarding her lover’s flank. Two small steps was all it took to close the gap between their bodies. Without losing grip of the flogging instrument, her hands reached up towards her victim’s extended arms. 

Haruka’s hands were cuffed, held by leather restraints dangling from the ceiling. The restraints were adjusted to force Haruka’s arms straight above her head, while allowing her cuffed feet to rest against the floor. A dozen whiptail tips tickled the length of Haruka’s flexed bicep, following the natural flow of her muscles down to her chiseled shoulders. 

Michiru could not help herself. Her hands traced Haruka’s perfectly tones trapezoids, her muscular shoulder blades, and finally the prominent lateral muscles flexing on either side of her body. This was the first chance Michiru had to truly appreciate the sculpted perfection that was Haruka’s back. Every muscle was prominent and engaged. The sight, and knowing every fiber of this remarkable human belonged to her, revived the slumbering entity inside of her. 

“Are we doing this, or are you just going to stare at me all night?” Haruka’s raspy voice filled the Skyloft’s silence. 

Michiru gripped Haruka’s jutted pelvic bones. She yanked them back, pulling Haruka’s bottom into her. “You’re quite mouthy… considering your current predicament,” Michiru whispered into Haruka’s ear. 

Haruka groaned as Michiru’s breath cascaded across her bare neck and shoulders. “I know, I’m just--”

“Anxious?” Michiru’s hands curled around to caress Haruka’s chiseled stomach. “Nervous?” Her lips planted kisses across Haruka’s extended shoulder blades. “You know I’ll take care of you.”

“You did say you’ve never done this before,” Haruka countered in a weak attempt to justify her discomfort. 

Though Haruka couldn’t see her face, Michiru playfully rolled her eyes. Her tone, however, was chilling and seductive. “A red ball gag would compliment your collar well.”

The thinly-veiled threat worked as intended. Haruka turned quiet, save for a bass whimper when Michiru’s hands found her breasts. Hugging Haruka from behind, Michiru’s fingers pinched and rolled her firm nipples. Her right hand held the short flogger, managing not to drop it while she mercilessly teased the restrained woman. 

When she was done making Haruka squirm, Michiru circled around in front of her. Flogger draped over her shoulder, she tapped its handle against her shoulder and soaked in the sight before her. 

“You are a work of art,” Michiru crooned while her eyes feasted upon Haruka’s front, naked except for a studded leather collar and dangling leash. Keeping her hands to herself, Michiru’s eyes glinted lasciviously as she enjoyed the sight of Haruka’s pale skin stretched across her round breasts, narrow ribcage, and sculpted midriff. 

“I especially love this…” Michiru succumbed to her yearning. Her free hand traced the slanted angle of muscle leading to Haruka’s soft blond mound. 

Haruka sucked in a breath. Then, with a wolfish grin, she responded, “You don’t have the amazing view I have.”

Michiru suppressed a smirk. To her elation, Haruka had agreed to being restrained and flogged without much persuasion. Her only condition was for Michiru to wear a particular outfit. 

The second she laid eyes on it, Michiru happily obliged. Her breasts were contained in a black lace bralette. The curves of her waist and belly were bare. Snug low around her hips was a matching garter belt, holding up transparent lace stockings. Black stilettos completed her look. 

Michiru was not shy or embarrassed in the slightest when she first observed herself in a full-length mirror. On the contrary, this was the sexiest she had felt in her entire life. 

“Flattery won’t get you out of this,” Michiru teased. To accentuate her point, she snapped the whip against Haruka’s thigh. The restrained woman jerked, more in surprise than pain. 

“I wouldn’t dream of robbing you of this--” Haruka grunted when she received another light sting on the other leg, “--pleasure.”

Michiru yanked on the thin leather leash dangling between Haruka’s breasts. “I wasn’t joking about the ball gag.”

Haruka’s eyes widened when Michiru forced their mouths together. The kiss was fierce and demanding, ending with Haruka’s bottom lip between her teeth. Michiru fingered Haruka’s collar while considering each delightful torture she planned to visit upon her lover. 

“That look scares me,” Haruka half-joked. She closed her eyes, anticipating a strike, but nothing came. 

Instead, Michiru sauntered around to Haruka’s rear, out of sight. She waited for a long, agonizing minute before lashing Haruka’s firm buttocks. The sharp staccato, followed by Haruka’s groan piercing the silence, was exhilarating. 

The artist traced her fingers across the bright red streak decorating Haruka’s backside. The mark burned. Goosebumps prickled as Michiru traced her cool fingertip across it. 

A sordid, delightful idea came to her. 

“You are mine.” Michiru punctuated her sultry statement with another snap of the flogger. 

Haruka moaned. The twitching of her skin and the beads of sweat dripping between her shoulder blades spoke every sentiment her mouth was incapable of forming. 

“My name on your flesh. The marks may not last long. But I will remember branding you every time I look at your perfect, muscular back.”

Haruka’s bowed head nodded. Taut muscles tensed even further in preparation.

“Do you know why?” Michiru drawled as she watched the solitary welt disappear impossibly fast. “Why I am doing this?”

Haruka’s chest swelled. “Because I am yours.”

The blonde’s reward for a correct answer was the swift execution of Michiru’s plan. 

With careful deliberation and precision, Michiru began writing her name in swollen red welts across Haruka’s skin. With each character she wrote, the previous markings faded with remarkable healing. 

The pain they inflicted did not dissipate so quickly. As Michiru neared the end of her name, Haruka’s vocalizations had morphed from low mewls to outright cries of pain. Haruka’s muscles danced beneath her skin. Her back was drenched. 

Still, she refused to utter her safe word, so Michiru did not stop until she was done. 

When her whip branding faded into nothing more than a sadistic memory, Michiru knelt down. She placed gentle kisses across Haruka back and firm cheeks. Her hands gently massaged the inflamed skin until it was smooth and pale once again. 

Michiru circled to Haruka’s front. Chest heaving and drenched bangs creating a curtain over her eyes, Michiru found the sight absolutely breathtaking. Using the whip handle, she lifted Haruka’s chin so their eyes met. Haruka’s eyes had all but lost their stormy grey highlights. Now her irises were clear and blue like a noontime summer sky. There was exhaustion in them, but more importantly, there was fathomless trust and adoration residing in her gaze.

The mutual understanding and affection blossoming from the intimate scene made Michiru’s heart swell. 

Haruka, looking relieved and elated, managed a daring grin. “What kind of dominant am I?” she asked between ragged breaths. 

“A very bad one,” Michiru whispered before rewarding her with a tender kiss. The black stilettos allowed her to reach Haruka’s bowed head with minimal effort. 

“Satisfied now?” Haruka continued their banter. 

“Not quite.” 

Michiru dropped the sex toy on the floor. She closed the gap between them by nibbling on one of Haruka’s hard nipples. 

“Michi…” Haruka’s damp chest heaved. The tycoon’s short, raspy breaths were symphonic to the former violinist. Michiru raked her fingernails south, through a coarse tuft of sandy hair. 

Haruka tilted her head back and groaned. She strained against her cuffs, nearly sobbing when Michiru’s wandering fingertips pressed against her hooded pearl. The pressure remained steady while she began drawing tight, intimate circles around it. 

Haruka tried rocking her hips, but the demanding mistress already read her intent. Michiru’s free hand wrapped around Haruka’s waist and held her in place. 

“God, Michi!” Haruka groaned in frustration, earning herself a coy laugh from the aquamarine tormentor. 

“Hold still…” Michiru crooned as the fingers working Haruka’s clit slipped between the dripping folds of Haruka’s labia. 

This feeling. Haruka anxious and wet for her. Haruka crying out her name. In the bed. In the shower. On the floor. Chained in the Skyloft. Michiru didn’t care where or when; as long as it would always be the two of them. For eternity. 

“You— oh God,” Haruka prayed to the moon through the Skyloft’s glass ceiling. Michiru purred in serene delight while hooking two fingers inside of Haruka’s throbbing canal. Michiru did not waste any time exploring. The swollen bud was already crying out to her… and Michiru knew exactly how to satisfy it. 

“I’m down here, Ruka,” Michiru teased. 

Haruka’s head fell drunkenly. Handsome blue eyes fell into Michiru’s. The revitalizing energy they shared sparked to life once more. Michiru took a deep breath, absorbing the electricity into every fiber of her being. Both she, and the demanding presence inside of her, knew this aura would invigorate them for hours to come. It united their flesh, wind and water personified, and created storms that could last for days. 

Through her maddening trips to the cusp of orgasm, Haruka smiled. Her husky laugh indicated she already knew what Michiru was thinking. “I’m not getting any sleep tonight… am I?”

“Not a wink.” 

Haruka’s composure was swept away into the tides of Michiru’s passion. 

As promised, Haruka did not get a wink of sleep that night. 

**♆**

April’s early morning sun pierced the skyline in pink and mauve strokes. Michiru leaned against Joshua’s black SUV, absorbing dawn’s iridescent beauty while Haruka and her chief of security unloaded the trunk. 

“Michiru?” Haruka’s grounding voice interrupted her wandering thoughts. 

Michiru turned her attention to a sight more beautiful than the dawn skyline. Suitcase slung over her broad shoulder, Haruka approached. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but Michiru did not have to see them to accurately imagine the satisfied fatigue in them. Haruka wore a navy blue pilot jacket, zipped high enough to strategically conceal the slight cleavage beneath. 

Michiru’s mind wandered to those round breasts, remembering how pliant and warm they were inside of her palms. 

“Are you sure you want to skip classes?” Haruka inquired as her free hand rest on Michiru’s hips. 

The question would have been endearing if Michiru hadn’t already heard it about a dozen times. “I have perfect scores in all of my classes. And I’m only missing two days.”

“Right.” Haruka yawned, eliciting a carnal grin from Michiru. The runner blushed as they shared a silent look encompassing every memory behind her exhaustion.

“You’re adorable,” Michiru gushed while brushing Haruka’s windswept bangs. 

The admission, of course, made Haruka’s neck turn an even deeper shade of red. “And you’re trouble.”

“And you like it,” Michiru playfully countered. After a beat, she turned serious. “And I’m more concerned about spending fourteen hours in a helicopter.”

“Fourteen hours?” Haruka scoffed as if Michiru had said something insulting. “Maybe if the pilot’s an amateur!”

“Ah.” Michiru pretended she understood what Haruka meant. “Speaking of pilot… Where’s your co-pilot?”

“I don’t need a co-pilot. This baby is equipped with the most state of the art flight technology! Its autopilot and AI technology is leagues ahead of what the US Air Force is using.”

Michiru somehow didn’t doubt that. It was times like these that reminded her Haruka was literally a billionaire. She poured millions of dollars into researching all different types of scientific breakthroughs, and even millions more into her own personal interests. 

Still, Michiru remained skeptical. “If you say so.”

Haruka cleared her throat. “Trust me. I’ve done this hundreds of times. I’m going to run another diagnostic test on the helicopter. Joshua will see us off after the pre-flight tests are complete.”

Tenoh’s chief of security was loading Michiru’s suitcase onto the luggage compartment. His face remained neutral, telling Michiru he wasn’t listening to their conversation. 

“Joshua isn’t coming?” 

“He’ll be guarding the house. A separate security team will meet us when we land in India,” Haruka explained. 

“I’ll call Setsuna while you make the final preparations, then.” Michiru melted into Haruka’s lips against her forehead. With a satisfied and excited grin, the young pilot walked across the tarmac toward the idled helicopter. 

Michiru studied the helicopter she would be spending most of her day in. The aircraft’s design was sleek and tasteful. It was painted in dark blue and gold trim with the Tenoh Industries brand decorating the door. Michiru watched Haruka extend and ascend the steps before remembering what she was supposed to be doing. 

Michiru retrieved her cellphone from her denim pocket. She dialed Setsuna’s cell and listened to the ringtone. Her guardian rarely answered her phone. Expecting to leave a voicemail, Michiru was startled to hear Setsuna’s voice instead of a recording. 

_“Good morning.”_ Setsuna’s deep, often rigid voice was still soothing to her ears after all these years. 

“Good morning,” Michiru began. “I wanted to let you know I’m going away with Haruka for a couple of days.”

_“Going away? Where?”_

Setsuna’s voice remained level, but the succinct questions were considerably invasive by her standards. 

“Haruka has to go to India to visit the shelter that’s been rebuilt since that asteroid. And I said I would go with her--him.” Michiru silently cursed herself for using the wrong pronoun. It had been so easy, at first, separating Haruka’s identities. But after Haruka stopped binding and every tabloid across both America and Japan featured the same articles questioning Haruka’s biological sex, well… Haruka stopped fretting over it, causing Michiru to become lax as well. 

Besides, there was no doubt in Michiru’s mind Setsuna had already seen the magazine spreads and read the gossip. 

_“India?”_ Setsuna repeated. 

Michiru blinked. Something about Setsuna’s voice sounded off. “Yes. In Haruka’s helicopter. He’s a pilot.”

_“Michiru. Do not get in that helicopter,”_ Setsuna demanded. 

“What?” Michiru understood Setsuna’s statement, cognitively speaking, but her brain refused to believe what she was hearing. “You didn’t blink an eye when I moved in with him, but you don’t want me to go to India with him for a few days?”

_“It’s not that.”_ Setsuna’s tone turned desperate. 

The helicopter’s rotor blades roared to life, creating a loud torrent that ruffled Michiru’s scarf and sent her hair flying. Haruka exited the pilot side and raised her arms in the air, letting the gusts of air envelop her. 

The pure, innocent gesture made Michiru’s heart melt. Haruka truly was one with the wind. 

“I can’t hear you,” Michiru spoke into the phone. “If you can hear me, I’ll call you when we land.”

Michiru heard Setsuna’s voice from the receiver. Unable to make sense of the words, she ended the call. She made to pocket her phone, but it began vibrating. Setsuna had already sent her a text. 

_Do not get on the helicopter. Please._

Michiru rolled her eyes and hid her phone away. If Setsuna thought she was going to cancel her trip with Haruka without providing a good reason why, she was sorely mistaken.

Try as Michiru did to ignore the unease swelling in her belly, she could not stop worrying. The logical part of her knew Setsuna would not have pressed the issue if there wasn’t a good reason.

“Ready for takeoff!” Haruka yelled above the helicopter’s roar. 

Haruka’s almost childlike excitement lifted Michiru’s mood. Deciding against letting Setsuna’s odd behavior ruin her first helicopter ride, Michiru took Haruka’s outstretched hand. 

The pilot led her to the passenger door. Haruka fastened her seat belt and ensured their belongings were secured. After a swift kiss, Haruka was out and circled around to the pilot’s seat. 

“Something the matter?” Haruka asked while she fiddled with switches and buttons Michiru did not recognize. 

Michiru was impressed, and mildly irritated, with how easily Haruka read her mood. “Setsuna was being strange.”

“What’s strange for her?” Haruka joked. 

Michiru watched her lover fasten her seatbelt. “Showing concern with how I spend my time.”

“Maybe she’s upset you’re skipping school.” Haruka shrugged. Not giving the matter more thought, her face lit up with boyish charm. “Ready?”

Michiru nodded. “Ready.”

The former violinist’s heart leapt into her throat when the aircraft took off. They hovered above the tarmac for a minute, during which her azure gaze was glued to the ground beneath them. Haruka adjusted the volume on the scanner and propelled them into the sky.

“The view is breathtaking,” Michiru commented while watching the city buildings disappear beneath them. “Much different than riding in an airplane.”

“Aside from skydiving, this is the closest I feel to flying.”

Michiru blinked. “You do that? Skydiving?”

“Yeah. It’s incredible. We’ll have to go sometime soon.”

Michiru was unsure how much she would enjoy such an experience, but Haruka’s elated response told her she would give it a try as long as they did it together. 

“You’ll love the view above the ocean,” Haruka said once they leveled out miles above the earth’s surface. Michiru was already having a difficult time tearing her sight from the shrunken city below. 

Michiru had no words for this splendid experience. “Why haven’t you brought me for a ride in the helicopter before now?”

“If you’ll let me out of bed or the Skyloft once in a while, I’ll fly you whenever you want.”

Michiru returned Haruka’s snark with a suggestive, sideways glance. “We’ll see.”

“You never told me what Tomoe said to you,” Haruka began as if walking on thin ice. “Our first night together.”

Their first night together. When Michiru was blind. Ignorant of Haruka’s biological sex. Unaware of her own body’s potential for pleasure. She still hadn’t discovered her ceiling for sexual satisfaction, but she was learning about pleasure and pain and the difference between fucking random strangers and making love to her best friend. 

Many, many things had happened since the day Tomoe Kawakami made those inappropriate advances. Considering everything that had occurred since then, including the incident at the art exhibit ending her internship, Michiru had not given his inappropriate behavior any thought. 

However, Michiru realized she hadn’t said anything since admitting to Haruka he was the one who'd upset her. And she had promised to tell her. “The director made lewd comments. About me and our relationship. He saw us together in your car.”

Haruka blanched. “What?! That… that sleezeball! If he’s smart he’ll stay in hiding because otherwise I’ll kill him!”

Michiru decided to steer the conversation away from Haruka’s revenge fantasy. “Do you think he’s with her? Kaori?”

Haruka grimaced. “I suppose. I doubt it’s a coincidence they both disappeared that night.” 

Haruka’s gaze shifted to the radar in front of them for a brief moment. “I just wish I knew why. I can only assume they were involved… but I can’t believe either of them, or Mimi, are capable of such violence. I had no idea the director was involved with Kaori.”

“Mrs. Robinson keeping secrets from you? What a surprise.” Michiru arched an eyebrow, suggesting the idea was not a surprise in the slightest.

“Yeah, yeah.” Haruka waved the gesture off. Something about her expression indicated she was not surprised, and even anticipated, the older woman’s secrecy. 

Michiru decided it was time to ask more questions about Haruka and the older woman’s long relationship. Before she could pose a question, Haruka’s eyes widened in alarm. 

“What the hell is that!?” 

Michiru snapped to attention. Her eyes followed Haruka’s hand as she slammed her palm against the radar. Its monotonous beeping began to increase in intensity. Michiru failed to realize what the problem was until she looked out the front windshield. 

A large, circular mass pierced the morning sky. It grew before their eyes with impossible speed, hurtling straight for their defenseless aircraft. 

“An asteroid?” Michiru whispered without knowing where the words came from. 

“Hang on!” Haruka gripped the wheel to make a sharp turn in hopes of avoiding the flying projectile. 

There was no time. No time to blink, process her fear, or make sense of what she was seeing. 

In less than a second the careening rock was there, about to crash into the helicopter. They were seconds away from becoming nothing more than an incinerated mass of bone and metal. 

A disorienting shift occurred. Time went from passing fatally fast to freezing. The asteroid paused mere inches from the helicopter’s nose, menacingly dangling their last breath before them. 

Then something—or rather, someone— appeared, blocking their view. 

“It’s her!” 

The woman with the garnet orb. 

The mysterious woman who was as much Setsuna Meiou as Haruka Tenoh was Uranus from her dreams. 

“Chronos Typhoon!” 

Tendrils of lavender magic encircled the female warrior. The adrenaline pumping through Michiru’s veins tingled. 

The violet vortex of death unwrapping from the cryptic guardian was soothing. Mesmerizing. Michiru entered a trance. Her hand reached toward the garnet rod. She wanted to be out of her seat. Out of the cockpit. To become one with the otherworldly magic at this woman’s control. 

“We’re going down!” Haruka’s cry broke Michiru’s stupor. 

The interference came too late. Everything was a blur. The asteroid shattered against the magnificent energy of the typhoon, but it was not enough to keep the helicopter from careening out of control. 

Their aircraft propelled off course. The controls blinked erratically. Sirens wailed. Michiru tried grabbing something--anything--for support. Her arms flailed wildly as the helicopter dove toward the ocean below. 

She couldn’t die. Not yet. Not now. Not with so many unanswered questions. Not with so much left unsaid between them. 

“Haruka!”

**♆**

Echoes from the deep reverberated against her skin, piercing her heart. A bolt of electricity, much like the sensual energy she and Haruka shared, startled her into consciousness. 

Murky depths swallowed her. The water’s essence embraced her. A mother’s gentle kiss awakened her, reminding her of what she must do. 

_Haruka._

Michiru’s head snapped back and forth, searching the opaque water for Haruka’s body. Patches of fire on the water’s surface created small pockets of visibility and warmth. Swimming faster than she thought possible, Michiru maneuvered around debris and fish. 

The longer she searched, the more desperate and frantic she became. There was no sight of Haruka anywhere. Michiru tread water, still multiple feet below the surface, trying to call out her partner’s name. Only bubbles and a muffled sound escaped her lips. 

A sinking black mass out of the corner of her eye caught Michiru’s attention. She propelled toward it, swimming faster than she thought possible. Relief filled her heart as two floating arms and legs came into view. Wasting no time, she closed the gap between them and cradled the unconscious figure in her arms. 

Haruka looked at peace. She was sleeping, Michiru tried convincing herself. 

Only sleeping. 

Faster than a missile, Michiru beelined for the surface, careful to avoid the flames reflected through the water. 

Just as her lungs were ready to burst, Michiru found air. She hoisted Haruka up. Keeping the unconscious head above water, Michiru searched for the closest shoreline she could find. 

Haruka wasn’t breathing. 

Her lungs and muscles burned, but Michiru swam on. To her relief, they were closer to land than they should have been. The explosion must have forced the helicopter backwards instead of further out into the ocean. Not one to question their small shred of luck, Michiru focused all of her energy on reaching the shore. 

She dragged Haruka onto land, composed of more garbage than actual earth. Kicking paper cups and plastic bags aside, Michiru laid Haruka down. She unzipped the waterlogged jacket and unbuttoned Haruka’s shirt. Michiru sought out Haruka’s sternum. Feeling the bone and unsettling stillness of her lungs beneath it, Michiru took a deep breath. 

Channeling one summer of lifeguarding when she was seventeen, Michiru began performing CPR. Lifting Haruka’s chin, she used her other hand to feel for a pulse. It was faint beneath her skin. The swimmer administered the life-saving technique without fault, but after repeating the process a few times she was beginning to lose hope. 

Haruka remained unresponsive. “No… no, no, no! Dammit Haruka, breathe!”

Michiru leaned her ear down to Haruka’s nose, listening for a hint of life. Hearing nothing, she cursed and repeated compressions against Haruka’s chest until a smothering, blinding sense of dread filled her. 

Hand pressed against Haruka’s chest, Michiru gasped and begged. “Please… no. Please don’t leave me!”

Frustration filled her. How could she float in the same waters as Haruka, for the same length of time, and remain completely unscathed? Why did the sea welcome and embrace her, yet drag Haruka down to her death? 

“Damn you!” Michiru pounded her fist against Haruka’s chest in desperation. 

CPR had failed. She had failed. There was nothing left for her to do but to beg the water; the only element on this godforsaken planet she ever thought understood her. “Leave Haruka alone! Get out!”

Tears stung her eyes, dripping onto her clenched fist and Haruka’s soaked chest. Michiru was losing her mind, imploring an inanimate element, but she was completely and utterly lost. 

Helpless.

If Haruka died, there was nothing left for her in this life. Haruka had given her life meaning and purpose. Haruka breathed creativity back into her art. It was Haruka who taught Michiru she was capable of escaping her cage. Of moving on past her parents’ deaths. 

Haruka had shown her dreams could become reality. 

Haruka taught Michiru she was capable and deserving of absolute, unquestionable love. 

Michiru was in love with this woman. Haruka, the Wind Scion. Uranus, the warrior. Michiru was now realizing, when the last ounce of life was leaving her body, she was in love with Haruka and couldn't stand to witness another sunrise without her. 

If Haruka died, Michiru would lay down and wither away beside her until she was nothing more than a pile of salt. 

“Please…” Michiru begged with the last bit of strength left in her. “Get out…” 

A stream of water spouted from Haruka’s mouth. Michiru jumped back in surprise. 

Haruka was unconscious. Out cold. There was no way she had coughed that water out of her lungs of her own volition. 

Before Michiru could question this turn of events, an ear-piercing screech chilled her bones. Steeling herself, Michiru turned toward the frightening sound. 

Towering dozens of feet above them was a throbbing, convulsing mass of putrid flesh with rows of gnashing teeth. Panic struck every sense and thought from her shattered mind. 

Every thought but one. 

“I have to protect Haruka…”

This abhorrent monster before her was similar to the creature snapping at her from inside the petri dish. Except this was an amalgamation; the product of a twisted nightmare. It was as if the salamander-sized alien in Setsuna’s safe grew to gargantuan proportions and sprouted one hundred fanged limbs. 

The alien hecatoncheires tore open the sky with its disturbing screech. The sound grated inside Michiru’s brain, scraping the inside of her skull. 

“No! Not now!” Michiru pressed her palm against her forehead. The pressure did nothing for her splitting headache. The pain ballooned, turning her vision white. 

This had to be a nightmare. The creature barreling toward her, belched from the depths of hell, could not be real. Michiru would never have suspected her imagination was capable of creating a monster so deplorable. 

The headache or the abomination; one of them was going to kill her. Not just her, but Haruka too. 

Against all reason, Michiru turned her back to the threat. She crawled over Haruka’s prone form, protectively hovering like a loyal canine over its injured master. 

“Stay… away…” Michiru threatened. The toothless threat meant nothing to the charging monster. Closer and closer it approached, shaking the entire beach. Between the noises it made and the earthquake its gargantuan form pounded into the ground, Michiru thought help would surely come. 

And yet there was only her and Haruka, waiting to die. 

Michiru didn’t know what to do or how she was going to get them out of this. But she had to. 

This couldn’t end now. She and Haruka were meant for each other. Their lives had too much meaning. A predetermined destiny, manifested through their dreams and brought to life by the electric aura they shared, said their tale couldn’t end now. 

“I won’t let… Haruka die.”

Combating her splitting skull and crippling fear, Michiru ambled to her feet. Unfounded bravery fueled her limbs into motion. Michiru braced herself for impact. 

Dozens of snarling pincer rows of teeth attacked. 

Blinding cerulean light poured from her forehead. The creature staggered, falling back against the magnificent light. 

Every sensation and thought flooded from Michiru’s mind, concentrating in front of her face. She became an empty shell, staring in fascination as a curious item took shape before her very eyes. Beams of aquamarine light weaved into a solid figure, almost like a pen, with an ornate decoration on the top. 

She didn’t know what she was looking at. She didn’t know where she was or who she was anymore. 

But she knew that symbol. 

Neptune’s trident. Calling out to her. 

Instinct pulled her into motion. She grabbed the floating object, tightly clutching it in her palm. 

The symbol branded itself into her forehead, turning everything white. 

**♆**

_The Silver Millennium._

_Neptune. Triton castle._

_Courting Uranus. Our love._

_An eon of peace crumbling in an instant._

_Our talismans uniting, birthing the Sailor Senshi of death._

_Reborn on Earth. To live, love, and protect the galaxy once again._

_I remember._

_Death Busters._

_The three of us raising Hotaru._

_The Starlights. Galaxia’s defeat, and the years of peace that followed._

_My concerts and Haruka’s races and Setsuna’s patience through all of our human endeavors._

_Pluto returning to the Time Gate._

_Hotaru and Haruka and I, her family, coming to the far reaches of Space-Time to visit her._

_The ominous ripple in the flux of Space-Time._

_The horror in Pluto’s burgundy orbs._

_And then..._

**♆**

She opened her eyes, seeing everything with a clarity she had not felt in years. 

“I remember. I remember… everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with the opening smut scene for a while, until I read a wonderful fic by syuuri: [Morning Touch](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17563961)! It gave me the dose of inspiration I needed! Go read it, and I’m sure you’ll easily spot the element I borrowed. Thank you! :)  
> 


	21. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sailor Neptune joins the fray.

**♆**

_“Get out of here!”_

_Pluto’s warning resonates through the echo chambers of Space-Time. Her garnet orb resonates in sync, as if repeating her call of distress._

_They--it-- bursts through the Space-Time Gate. Pluto and Saturn barely escape the explosion of writhing flesh and gnashing teeth unscathed. They dash away just in time as the writhing mass forces itself through the gate._

_“Pluto! Saturn!” Uranus and I call out to them. They leap into the air, closing the gap between us. The Senshi of Time and the Senshi of Death act as a barrier between us and the abhorrent alien._

_It shrieks, piercing our eardrums with its grating, ungodly noise. If the gurgled syllables escaping the rows of pincers are supposed to be a language, it isn’t one we understand._

_“Return to the realm from whence you came!” Pluto demands to the fearsome entity. She brandishes her garnet rod._

_The chilling authority her voice commands in her domain holds no sway over the black mass. In fact, it swells and grows at her challenge, filling our heads with strange noises._

_“I think it wants to play,” my partner says with a wry grin. As usual, I agree with her assessment._

_“This is my territory. You three find safety!” Pluto demands._

_Sailor Saturn flicks her wrist, scythe shimmering into her hand. She turns back to look at Uranus and I. Her violet eyes have lost all semblance of Hotaru’s empathy and warmth. She is only Sailor Saturn, the Bringer of Ruin._

_The three of us share a knowing glance._

_If this thing wants a fight, then a fight it shall have._

_I spare a second to look at my Lover of Lifetimes. My Wind Scion. The woman with whom I’ve created perfect storms with, again and again. Excitement and battlelust shine within the small vortexes of her eyes. I don’t doubt my own eyes echo something similar._

_This is what we were born for, after all. To battle side by side. Protecting our princess and our galaxy from threats like this.  
Uranus and I form a silent battle plan together. Our respective talismans appear in our hands. _

_We are ready for battle._

_“Silly Setsuna-mama thinks we’re going to leave,” Saturn’s tease, spoken in her determined, cold voice, sends chills down my spine._

_“I was getting kind of bored with peace anyway, weren’t you?” Uranus slices her saber through the warbling essence of Space-Time in front of her._

_I offer her a sideways smirk before springing into action._

_Pluto, disgruntled but unsurprised at our refusal to leave, begins a full-frontal assault as the three of us assume our positions. I fly toward the creature’s left. Uranus approaches the right, and Saturn soars in the air to cover the rear. Between the vast reaches of Space-Time and the monster’s lack of identifying characteristics, discerning it’s front or back proves difficult._

_“Dead… Scream.”_

_As I prostrate my mirror before me, Pluto’s amethyst sphere of destruction blows a hole clean through the amalgamous flesh. Rows of teeth mash in anger, creating that same shrilling sound, magnified by a thousandfold._

_Wasting no time, the three of us succeed her attack with an onslaught of our own._

_“Submarine Reflection!”_

_“Space Sword Blaster!”_

_“Death Reborn Revolution!”_

_Magical chaos, the likes of which only Sailor Senshi can navigate, reverberate through the void of Space-Time. Saturn’s ribbons of death ensorcel the beast, slicing it into shreds._

_Uranus, my agile warrior, is faster than the wind, dancing about Saturn’s ribbons and my spouts of water. She twirls through our attacks and the alien’s flailing, bulbous flesh, slicing and dicing with abandon._

_I raise my arms, preparing yet another in a series of aquatic attacks._

_“Stop!” Pluto’s command penetrates the battlefield._

_Flashes of colorful magic and Saturn’s ribbons of death ebb. The disorienting silence of Space-Time returns._

_The scenery, however, is tainted with death. Shreds of charred flesh and splintered teeth decorate the air. Without gravity the pieces float in a macabre testament of the Outer Senshi’s combined powers._

_Uranus, hovering in the center of the dead tormentor’s remains, chuckles and dismisses her sword. We share the same look as is our custom after every successful battle. It is a stare that encompasses our mutual relief, respect, and adoration._

_Pluto approaches the enemy’s remains, looking ready to grab one of the suspended fangs from the air._

_Before she can touch it, hell breaks loose._

_The severed pieces writhe and throb in sync. In the blink of an eye, the blobs of flesh pulsate and expand. The elastic black skin yanks and pulls as if each segment has a mind of its own, struggling to break free._

_Small shreds of flesh transform into enormous bodies. What was one gargantuan intruder has now been cloned into dozens of enemies. Each of monumental size._

_“Uranus!”_

_She has disappeared inside of the swarm. Unable to see or hear her, I do the only thing a warrior who is afraid of losing their eternal partner can do._

_I dive into the quagmire._

_“Neptune, no!” Pluto begins flying in my direction, as if to restrain me, but I’m already committed. Using the aqua mirror as a shield, I force myself through the wall of alien flesh and teeth._

_The creatures recoil from the barrier shimmering out from my talisman, but it does not hinder them for long. My superhuman reflexes guide me through the snapping teeth and outstretched limbs seeking to claim me._

_“Uranus!” I call out, praying my voice reaches her through the crippling, maddening noises these creatures are making. “Uranus!”_

_A few precious minutes later and my search turns frantic. I’m lost in this hostile maze of alien bodies, unsure if I will find solace in her eyes ever again._

_“World Shaking!”_

_The source is close. But it is also weak._

_Fearing the worst, I fly towards her with the protective light of my talisman guiding the way. I feel them lashing at my exposed back. The danger and the golden light of her attack propel me forward._

_Finally, I see Uranus. Her recent attack has afforded her some breathing space, but the damage has already been done. A large, gaping wound has torn apart her bodice, soaking her midriff in blood._

_Blood and… something else._

_Chunks of alien flesh and bone float around her. Knowing it is a matter of seconds before they become their own separate entities, I fly as fast as Neptune’s power will allow. She sees my aquamarine light, or perhaps senses my presence, and casts a narrow, stubborn glare at me._

_We have a silent conversation as I make my way towards her, arguing over whether or not I should have risked myself to save her. But I am here, forcing her to wrap an arm around me so we can make our way out of this mess._

_“I had them, you know,” she grunts while I take hold of her._

_“You always say that,” I return the jab, purposefully keeping my eyes away from the worrisome wound in her midsection._

_The severed pieces come to life. With Haruka’s added weight my speed suffers. I know she feels it, but instead of commenting she only moans in agony as we weave through the dangers._

_A blaze of lavender light shoots past us. Pluto has given us a beacon; a path out of the abyss. I dart for it. My slight delay while gathering Uranus and reduced speed cost me. Dearly._

_I grit my teeth and carry on, knowing my accelerated Senshi healing can carry me onward. If all else fails, the Silver Crystal always cleanses my wounds, even when I insist the princess not waste her energy on them._

_From the moment I suffer these egregious lashes—these bites tearing away hunks of flesh from my back— I know something is different. The pain. It is utterly unique and malevolent._

_My flesh bubbles. The wound festers and spreads. I hide it best as I can, for we are almost free, but I cannot lie to her even when I try._

_“M-Michiru…”_

_Fear and worry paint her handsome face. I understand the pain she suffers. We stare at each other with synonymous love and concern before I finally pull us out of imminent danger._

_“Silence Wall!” Sailor Saturn is between us and the sea of monsters as we exit, protecting us as we roll through the ether of Space-Time._

_Pluto collects us. Seeing our wounds, she frowns and shakes her head solemnly._

_“Haruka!”_

_Now that we have a second to breathe, I see the venomous substance seeping into her blood. The festering wound must have reached her internal organs by now, at the rate it is spreading. Uranus gives that confident, lackadaisical smile I fell in love with eons ago._

_I feel Pluto’s hands on my back. No doubt I look as terrible as my lover. Adrenaline has subdued the pain for the time being, but I know we need to do something before I’m unable to move._

_Saturn turns to Pluto, silently imploring her. Asking for permission. Wanting to fulfill her purpose…_

_To end it all._

_Pluto shakes her head. “You all go. I will stay.”_

_“That’s suicide!” Uranus yells in my arms. The exertion is too much for her. She grimaces with pain._

_“I end this now, or we’re retreating! All of us!” Saturn counters._

_The three of us hear the ultimatum in her words._

_Either we all leave together, or none of us do._

_Uranus and I turn to Pluto. Her crimson eyes narrow. She has but a moment to make the fateful choice before Saturn’s protective barrier falters and the Senshi of Death and Rebirth makes the decision for us._

_With great pain in her voice, Pluto concedes. “We retreat, now!”_

**♆**

“I remember everything.” 

Michiru clenched her lip rod in her hand, feeling its power and her memories flow into her. Staring at her precious transformation pen, the idea of it being a foreign object to her was absolutely ludicrous. And yet, she remembered her sincere bafflement only moments before. 

Dozens of misshapen mouths released the rattling scream Michiru remembered all too well. Hearing it’s hellish cry made the lethal wounds inflicted by its kin burn in her memory once more. 

“You will not touch Haruka!” 

Her chilling confidence did nothing to the monster. It released a taunting bellow before charging once more. 

“Neptune Crystal Power… Make-Up!”

It was strange. Fathomless. How was it possible to miss this sensation, the magic of her birthright, without realizing it? The raw power of Neptune’s crystal caressed and embraced her. Michiru became the deep sea, harnessing its might and becoming its desire. 

The rush filled Michiru with hundreds of emotions and memories. None of which she had time to dwell upon. 

At long last, Neptune’s birthright claimed her once more. She was Sailor Neptune. Only battlelust and revenge would serve her now. 

Still, something was missing. 

Her talisman; the item her unawakened self had seen in her fever dreams, illustrating over and over again in her subconsciousness’ desperate attempts to reach her. 

“Deep Aqua Mirror!” 

The talisman shimmered into life at its master’s call. Neptune wished she had time to gaze upon its splendor, but she had an enemy to crush. Prostrating the mirror before her, she aimed it at the alien, now only a few yards away. 

“Submarine—“

“Neptune, wait!” 

Sailor Neptune looked out of the corner of her eye. Sailor Pluto and Mars were fast approaching, breathless. Neptune’s chest swelled when she gazed upon her colleagues, free of the fog her mind had been mired in for years. Mars, the guardian of war with flames dancing about her fingertips. Pluto, the solemn gatekeeper who gave new meaning to the Outer Senshi family by raising her for eighteen years. 

Mixed feelings pricked inside of Neptune’s skull as she studied her fellow soldiers. 

Pluto reached for one of the syringes attached to her belt. Neptune remembered them, for she had seen them dangling amongst Pluto’s keys the night Mimete attacked. 

Curiosity piqued, Neptune watched the following series of events unfold within seconds. 

Mars charged ahead. An ofuda appeared in her hand. As expected, the fire senshi delved into her spiritual connections to attack the beast. 

“Evil Spirit, Begone!” 

Mars leapt into the air, gaining impressive height before the looming monster. The mass of arms and mouths shifted, seeming to divert its attention to the new aggressor. The alien began swinging a collection of limbs at her. The attack would have connected if Mars’ ofuda had not landed first. 

The spiritual attack temporarily paralyzed the beast. 

“Now!” Mars shouted. 

Pluto did not need to be prompted. Chronos’ daughter was already in midair. Neptune studied the attack, trying to learn how they could best this strange foe. She remembered, at that first and fatal battle, how each Outer Senshi’s attack helped the enemy multiple endlessly. 

Pluto landed upon the gurgling, oily mass of flesh. Before Mars’ attack could wear off, she plunged the needle into the creature. 

Pluto returned to solid ground. Her garnet eyes fell upon Neptune. They silently shared a gaze of mutual respect and relief before the pressing battle interrupted their quiet reflection.

“I injected the Dromedon with a substance that counteracts its regenerative abilities. Care to do the honors?” Pluto swung her staff toward the temporarily incapacitated foe. 

Grim determination set across Michiru’s brow. It would not be revenge upon its colleagues that delivered the fateful blows to her and Uranus all those years ago, but it would have to do. 

“Submarine Reflection!” 

The fury of the ocean concentrated into a gushing torrent. It burst from the mirror in a single stream, obliterating the enormous hecatoncheires. Neptune swung the mirror in an arc, swiping it across the monster’s impressive girth. 

Deja vu plagued her as she watched the monstrosity explode into thousands of pieces. Unlike their battle at the Space-Time Gate, when the chunks hung in the air due to the lack of gravity, they rained upon the shore in a satisfying cacophony. 

Mars and Pluto approached their newly awakened ally. Unspoken words floated between the trio until Pluto placed a hand on Neptune’s shoulder and smiled. “Welcome back.”

“It’s about time Neptune,” Mars interjected, “we—“

The short reunion was interrupted when the shores beside them detonated with the enemy’s chilling roars.

“More Dromedons!” Pluto brandished her rod. 

Sailor Neptune took her long lost place at Sailor Pluto’s side. Mars approached on her left. The separate energies of their guardian planets mingled for the first time in decades. 

The power rush filled Neptune with the absent purpose she needed… 

For a brief moment. 

It was not enough. 

Michiru turned to her absent partner, waterlogged and unconscious. The thrilling power of her birthright and Neptune’s grace dissolved into melancholy. 

She could be the greatest soldier in the galaxy, but without her eternal partner, she was nothing. 

“Get Haruka out of here!” Pluto ordered. 

“No! After all these years you’ve spent protecting me, I’m fighting!” Neptune argued back. 

Her impassioned argument did not sway the immortal Time Guardian. Neptune’s slight hesitation split a fissure through her resolve. It may as well have been written on her face. 

“Get out of here!” 

_Get out of here!_

Pluto’s timeless eyes pierced Michiru’s soul with decades worth of guilt and fear. Her plea, echoing through Space-Time for years, hit Michiru with enough force to silence her. 

The breach at the Space-Time gate. The first battle, ultimately resulting in their deaths. Years of struggling against these foreign enemies while Michiru and Haruka wandered aimlessly, ignorant of their true lives and purpose. 

The most taciturn guardian would never give voice to feelings of disgrace or shame; but years of carrying this burden were etched into her maroon eyes for anyone who knew where to look. 

As with everything else Michiru remembered, she couldn’t imagine not knowing her trusted companion. Instead of sharing the burden, Michiru had inadvertently become part of Setsuna’s burden. 

Sailor Neptune realized she had to flee this battle. To keep Haruka safe and to preserve Setsuna’s peace of mind. 

“Fine. I’ll take Haruka to the apartment.”

The senshi split up. Mars and Pluto ran towards the threat emerging from the ocean while Neptune gathered Haruka into her arms. Before dashing her to safety, Neptune checked her pulse. It was normal and healthy. Haruka’s senshi healing saved her from certain death. 

Without allowing herself more time to ponder, Neptune gathered her dormant partner in her arms. She steeled herself for the journey back to the apartment she used to share with Setsuna. The extra strength and flight would be a boon, but more importantly, she had to avoid being seen in the morning April sunlight. Cradling poor, unsuspecting Haruka in her arms, Michiru took flight. 

Sailor Neptune flew in short bursts, landing on shaded rooftops from time to time. The city was a completely different beast from bird’s eye view. The thought brought her back to the short, blissful helicopter ride. Haruka’s excitement and boyish charm enhanced the experience. Neptune could not stop herself from gazing down at her unsuspecting, ignorant partner. 

Why had fate done this to them again? 

In a determined daze, Neptune stealthed her way through the quiet apartment complex. After letting herself into the apartment, she deposited Haruka onto her old bed. Neptune’s heart ached as she stared at her unaware lover of lifetimes. With a hand on Haruka’s forehead, she dropped her transformation, reverting back to Michiru Kaiou… orphaned college student and failed violinist. 

She stripped off Haruka’s sodden jacket. Before she could dangle it over the back of a chair, a ring tone jingling inside one of the pockets startled her. Michiru fished out the phone, safe inside a waterproof case. 

Joshua was calling. Unsure of what Haruka would want her to say, she ignored the call. 

Then Jennifer, her assistant called. And another employee. And another. Giving up, Michiru turned the device off and left it on her nightstand. After removing Haruka’s very expensive, and very ruined, loafers, Michiru sat at her bedside. 

Haruka was peacefully resting. Her soft, handsome face was the same as every vision and memory Michiru experienced when she grabbed her lip rod. Physically, this woman was an exact replica of her Heavenly Warrior. 

Except, Michiru knew she wasn’t her. Not exactly. Just as she was not the same Michiru who woke up that morning. 

The same. And yet, different. 

Michiru held Haruka’s hands within her own. Every crease and cuticle was the same as every iteration before. These destructive, beautiful warrior’s hands; the hands she long fantasized about before remembering every act they had ever performed. 

This Haruka. This Sailor Uranus. Michiru loved her as much as every lifetime before. Their hearts and planet crystals were linked for this lifetime and all lifetimes to come. 

Michiru’s ponderings were interrupted as Haruka began to stir. Her heart fluttered with relief when a pair of bewildered, stormy eyes came to life. 

“Michiru? What… What happened?”

“The helicopter crashed.” Michiru let Haruka absorb her words. “It was my turn to pull you out of the water.”

Haruka’s eyes darted from Michiru to the ceiling. Her brow furrowed in thought. “That woman. She saved us?”

“Yes.” Michiru swallowed the lump in her throat. There was no point in lying about what Haruka had seen with her own eyes. “The two women we saw at the masquerade ball appeared.”

Haruka shot up in bed. “I almost got us killed! I never would have put you in the helicopter today if I’d known—”

“I know,” Michiru gently reassured her. “Nothing was your fault.”

Eyes downcast, Haruka laid back down in quiet contemplation. She was normally energetic and in constant motion; this uncharacteristic stillness was unusual. 

“Your phone was ringing nonstop. I turned it off,” Michiru changed the subject. None of that mattered anymore, now that Michiru remembered the true battle for the galaxy that had been waging for years. But she had to pretend. 

“Let them think I’m dead for a couple of hours,” Haruka murmured. She turned to Michiru and smiled sheepishly. “Lay down next to me?”

A bittersweet smile decorated Michiru’s face. She walked to the other side of the bed, pulled the sheets back, and crawled in beside the blonde, fully clothed. 

Haruka visibly relaxed as Michiru settled in beside her. The newly-awakened senshi idly stroked her lover’s hair. It was soft and tousled as she remembered; from that morning and thousands of mornings and thousands of years before. 

“You need a haircut…” Michiru commented while twirling long, sandy bangs between her fingers. 

A tired, husky laugh emanated from Haruka’s chest. “Do I? Or do you just want Andre to come over so the two of you can devise more scandalous outfits together?”

Sailor Neptune reflected on that day fondly, but with a detachment as one would with a strange dream or a long-deceased relative. The events of the last eighteen years no longer felt real. She had been living in a surreal bubble. Unbeknownst to her, Setsuna was the only true presence; protecting her and biding time until they awakened. 

“Hey, Haruka?” 

The semi-conscious tomboy looked at her with the lackadaisical, wolfish grin that stole her heart centuries ago. “Yeah?”

“You know I would do anything for you, right?”

“I know,” Haruka whispered back. She didn’t question the nature of Michiru’s cryptic statement. Instead, the pilot reached for Michiru’s hand before nodding back off to sleep. 

Michiru sighed. 

She would see this through. For Haruka, for Setsuna, and for the royal family. Despite her stubborn loyalty to her duty as Neptune’s crystal-bearer, frustration and bitterness penetrated her iron will. 

Being forced into fighting without Sailor Uranus, again, was a fate crueler than continuing her life of ignorance. At least then she and Haruka were ignorant together. They found each other in this lifetime, as all of their previous lifetimes, because of many factors, Neptune assumed. The most important element of all, she believed, was the strength of their bond that surpassed time. 

Michiru did not relish fighting without her companion. Again. 

But for now, she did not have to fight. She only had to stay here, in bed, with Haruka.

And she was so very, very exhausted…

**♆**

The unmistakable sound of the studio apartment’s front door shutting startled Michiru from her light nap. Her eyes fell upon Haruka’s profile. Michiru’s hand, snug between Haruka’s hand and her softly snoring chest, felt for Haruka’s steady heartbeat. 

Michiru laid beside Haruka in silence, waiting for the interruption she knew was coming. 

As expected, Setsuna and Rei stood in the entrance of the bedroom. Their civilian clothes and personalities were thin veils, ineffectively concealing the burden of war they both carried. 

Setsuna stepped forward. Her narrow eyes flickered to Haruka’s slumbering form before resting on her awakened ally. 

“Come, Michiru. We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cringed while writing the words "lip rod."


	22. Evil Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka deals with the aftermath of the accident.

**♅**

_Hot desert air fills my lungs. My bare feet kick up thousands and thousands of grains of sand. The miniscule flecks of sunlight burn the pads of my feet and sneak their way inside their creases. Clouds of dust form as an afterthought well after the canary and navy blue blur that is my running body disappears from sight._

_Saber wielded, I am on patrol. I run for miles and miles. My lungs burn and are fit to burst. I could cover the entire circumference of Uranus and still never break a sweat. The arid heat and infinite desert are home. My eyes scan the horizons and the dark sky for intruders while I run, making mental notes of any anomalies in the deep space around me._

_Finding no reason to brandish my sword, and nothing of note to include in my report, I chart course for Miranda castle. The tall spire eventually comes into focus. I’ve already run for miles, but decide to try increasing my pace. My calves and thighs scream in protest. Not one to be bound by the limits of my body, I push harder. The ends of my silk wraps flap violently behind me._

_Within minutes I reach the spiral staircase. Just before one bare foot is about to touch solid architecture, I stop._

_Something has changed since I left a few hours ago._

_Or rather, I’ve unknowingly accepted a visitor._

_My heart stirs with excitement. I sheathe my sword through the rope belt tied around my waist._

_She was quite careless… leaving behind very obvious clues of her presence; petite water footprints in my sandcastle, leading up the spiral staircase to my personal chambers._

_This is the first time she’s made an unannounced voyage to my domain. I’m anxious to see her. Even if I tried denying it to myself, my racing pulse and the sweat refusing to bead until now give me away. Instead of running to find her, I steel myself and savor the anticipation. My naked feet fill the footprint-shaped puddles left in her wake as I trail up the steps behind her._

_Sea salt and brine fill my nose. It’s her heady aroma, one that carries memories of our most recent time together off the grid in some obscure corner of Neptune. My throat tightens._

_I find her standing on my balcony. The blazing sun silhouettes the fish out of water, failing miserably in its attempt to match her radiance. Teal curls dance in the desert breeze._

_I step toward her. The transparent ivory curtains splitting the balcony entrance blow away, welcoming me onto the balcony and into her arms. Wordless, I fall into her embrace. My hands find the small of her back. The fabric of her dress is segmented and iridescent like a mermaid’s tail. In the intense sunlight the scales cannot decide if they are emerald or sapphire. No matter the color, they reflect the deep sea of her eyes brilliantly._

_My face buries itself in the flowing waves of her hair. She allows me this small comfort without comment. I hear only the sand dancing in the wind and the unspoken yearning in her steady breaths._

_Eventually, the hands stroking my hair tug me away. Cerulean orbs penetrate me in her pensive, seductive way that always makes my knees quake._

_“This is the most pleasant of surprises.” My voice squeaks under her unassuming gaze._

_“And you are the most pleasant of visions.” Her voice is a lustrous symphony in this barren desert. The caverns of my chest ache for her touch. As testament to her statement, her eyes take in their fill of my physique. No matter how many times she reduces me to a nude, sobbing mess in her arms, I’m still nervous being on this end of her hunger._

_By laws of decorum it’s my turn to speak. Everything that comes to mind sounds stupid or simple when matched with the enormity of my feelings for Neptune’s Princess. We measure each other’s curves and breathes and pulses with the howling wind passing our thoughts between us._

_“You aren’t going to ask what brings me here?” she asks while her fingers explore the shadows between the folds of my dress._

_“You aren’t in uniform. So it can’t be an urgent threat. If it were business you’d have announced your departure from Neptune. Which means I have to assume…” My fingers tickle her bare arms, whispering intimate promises. “You’ve come for personal reasons.”_

_Neptune hums. She almost looks proud at my attempt to match her innuendo. This is my idea of being forward. Shy by leagues compared to her nature, but still… The depths of my desire is laid bare before her._

_“You’re correct on two accounts.” My hair is already tousled from my patrol runs, but that doesn’t stop her from playing with my bangs. “I’ve come on personal business.”_

_Neptune’s cantor sends shivers down my spine, despite not sounding suggestive in nature. Well, not for her, anyway._

_“Personal business? Such as?” My eyes seek hers for a hint, but they betray nothing. Smartening up, I force myself to look away from the perfection of her face for clues. Feeling foolish, I notice a bundled traveling companion leaning against the marble balcony railing for the first time._

_Following my stare, she smiles and gestures to the instrument I gifted her on her birthday. “And I’ve come to repay my debt.”_

_I disagree with her sentiment, but I now know her intentions. I know little about music, especially these Earth instruments, but I can’t imagine the active desert winds are the ideal acoustics for a violin. “Shall we go inside?”_

_Neptune fills her lungs with dry air and shakes her curls. “No. This is perfect.”_

_I lean against the balcony railing and cross my arms, watching her open the violin case. The wooden instrument looks so natural in her arms and resting against her chin, almost as if it is an extension of herself._

_Without further introduction, she sets the bow against the strings and begins to create a beautiful, serenading melody from them. Neptune’s eyes are closed as one hand slides the bow back and forth, while the other holds the violin’s neck and plucks at the strings in patterns that befuddle me._

_I try making sense of how the instrument works at first, but I am soon carried away by the heartfelt melody. Every note; every crescendo and decrescendo, carries me on a journey through our memories together. From the first formal meeting where we exchanged formal bows and pleasantries, to fast-paced battles in the far reaches of the galaxy, to the tune playing at Neo Queen Serenity’s masquerade ball. Like magic, the song captures the essence of each of our meetings and partings with startling accuracy._

_The song abruptly stops. Trance ended, I open my eyes to reality and find her awaiting my feedback with uncharacteristic vulnerability._

_“That song… It’s us.” I’ve no musical or artistic aptitude, giving no credence to my ability to interpret or criticize either, but my deduction of her musical masterpiece leaves not the slightest of doubts in my mind._

_Her relieved smile tells me I read the song correctly. She leans the naked violin against the marble columns and closes the space between us. “It’s also unfinished.”_

_“I noticed.” I return her smile with abundant ardor. This water goddess in my arms has dedicated an original score to me._

_No, not to me. To us. I mentally wonder what god I have pleased to be bestowed with the brightest treasure in all the universe. “Does it have a title?”_

_“I call it ‘The Perfect Storm.’”_

_“Perfect Storm? Why do you think that?” I tilt my head down at her inquisitively._

_“What else do wind and water create when they dance?” Her coy question is punctuated by electric shocks coming from her fingertips, which are now squeezing both sides of my ribcage._

_“I can think of a few things…” I respond in kind._

_She giggles at my unusual boldness. Not in any rush to put a premature end to the flirting and flattering, she pulls me closer by my rope belt. “We need only to find an appropriate instrument for you. I wrote the song intending wind to carry the water.”_

_“Oh?” Abrupt ending aside, the masterpiece sounded complete to me. My obvious ignorance doesn’t support her lofty idea, however. “The last thing I want is to disappoint you, Neptune. But I’m not like you. I have precious few talents outside of, well, this.” I gesture to the sword resting at my hip._

_“You also said you couldn’t dance.” She taps the special badge I’ve pinned against my heart with a smile. Not one to be dissuaded by my pessimism, she disregards my concern. “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”_

_Arguing would be pointless, so I nod. “Seeing as this is your first time visiting Miranda castle on personal business… Can I interest you in a tour of the castle grounds?”_

_Bowstring still in hand, she taps it against my chest. With an arched eyebrow, she trails it southward, between my breasts. “You’ll be giving me an intimate tour of your bedchambers first, Princess Uranus.”_

_“It would not be very hospitable to deny my esteemed guest’s wishes, would it?”_

_I offer an exaggerated bow. When I return to my full height, I realize she’s already halfway to my bed. And also half-naked; wind whipping the hem of her dress against her porcelain legs. Before following after her, I retrieve the violin with an incredulous smile._

**♅**

Sweltering heat pulled Haruka from the cool embrace of her dream. Blinking awake, she stared through the empty space Michiru was occupying when she dozed off. Haruka turned to the opposite side of the bed and abruptly sat up when she realized she was no longer alone. 

“Where’s Michiru?” her hoarse voice demanded. 

Rei, deeply involved in a text message, did not look up from the miniature device in her hands. “Gone with Setsuna.”

Haruka grunted. Realizing she had a headache, she dug her palm into the uncomfortable heat emanating from her forehead. “How long was I asleep?”

Finished texting, Rei buried her phone in the rear pocket of her jeans and glanced at the clock. “It’s been about an hour since Setsuna and I arrived.” 

“I see.” Disappointed that she would be stuck waiting for Michiru with this young woman who always rubbed her the wrong way, Haruka laid back down and stared at the ceiling. 

“How do you feel?” the former shrine maiden asked in a tone hinting she was asking more for the sake of formality than concern. 

“Fine,” Haruka snapped. She almost mentioned the searing headache, but decided against it. Ms. Hino and Ms. Meiou treated her and Michiru on a need-to-know basis. Therefore, Haruka would return the sentiment. 

The blonde could feel Rei’s exaggerated eye roll. “I don’t know what you think Setsuna and I are hiding, but there’s nothing we could have done.”

“Nothing?!” Haruka’s blood boiled as she considered what happened. Yet again, Michiru’s life was in very real danger. Except this time, Haruka had stupidly put her directly in the line of fire. Rei’s casual, unaffected demeanor stirred the rage her peaceful dream had temporarily quelled. “You could have warned us!”

“Setsuna tried,” Rei responded, deadpan. 

Haruka frowned. The crease in her brow lightened when she remembered the events before boarding the helicopter. Michiru’s comments regarding Setsuna’s behavior were particularly poignant. 

“She should have been more specific,” Haruka defended Michiru’s defiance against her former guardian. “For all she knew, Setsuna didn’t want her skipping classes! How the hell did she know there would be an asteroid coming? None of my equipment detected anything!”

“We didn’t locate it through… conventional means.” Rei’s voice strained and her eyes narrowed.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Haruka’s yell agitated her headache. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Rei dismissed the argument. Haruka did have to agree with her on that; it was over, and they both somehow survived. Arguing over the events leading up to the unfortunate accident—of which Setsuna and Rei would refuse to divulge until they day they died— were pointless. Haruka had all but given up on gleaning more information out of the two of them. 

She had other methods of collecting information, after all. 

However, Haruka couldn’t help but wonder how they survived unscathed. The last thing the pilot remembered was trying to gain control of the helicopter after the explosion, caused by the mysterious woman with some kind of superpowers, who sent it spiraling out of control. 

“I should tell Michiru I’m awake,” Haruka thought out loud. 

“I sent a message to Setsuna,” Rei responded. “Michiru’s cell phone must be at the bottom of the ocean somewhere.”

The CEO shook her head, exasperated. Of course Michiru lost her new cell phone. 

Haruka noticed her phone waiting on Michiru’s nightstand. She sat up once more. Leaning over and stretching her arm toward her cell phone caused the bedsheet to crumple around her waist. Haruka looked down, realizing for the first time that Michiru had stripped her pilot jacket, leaving a disheveled and half-buttoned shirt. Her unbound breasts created a small line of exposed cleavage. 

Rei acted as if she hadn’t noticed. Haruka, already in a foul mood, decided she would not suffer the strange young woman’s smug attitude about her biological sex any longer. 

From the day they met, she had always given Haruka an uncomfortable intuition. Rei’s mysterious, violet eyes always seemed to land on Haruka’s chest with a hint of irony and muted amusement. 

Now that they were alone, Haruka impulsively began the uncomfortable discussion. “Yes, I’m a woman.”

“I know.” Rei crossed her legs. “According to the press you aren’t hiding that side of yourself anymore. I take it to mean I no longer have to pretend?”

Haruka snatched her phone and glared at Rei skeptically. “You didn’t know I’m a woman.” Her statement felt false before leaving her lips.

“You had a very feminine aura. For a man, I mean.” 

Rei’s observation gave Haruka pause. A feminine aura? Visions of flickering flames danced before Haruka’s eyes. A memory, or rather, a revelation, sudden came to her. “You were a shrine maiden.”

Haruka’s confused demeanor gave Rei pause. Her mauve eyes narrowed. “Yes. I told you that when we first met.”

Had she? Haruka blinked, trying to recall their first conversation. The details were fuzzy at best. “Yeah. That’s right. Okay then, _Miko_ ,” Haruka tested out the new nickname on her tongue. The Japanese reference to her former title caused Rei to frown. Haruka decided she rather liked it. “You see auras? What else can you do? Read tea leaves? Make omamori?”

“Yes.” Without warning, Rei stood and exited the room. Confused, Haruka began powering on her cell phone. While mentally preparing herself to deal with the aftershock of today’s events in the form of hundreds of voicemails and email messages, Rei returned. 

“It’s become obvious you need one of these,” Rei began.

Haruka blinked, dumbstruck, as the shrine maiden handed her an amulet. She had not seen one of these since coming to the United States, but the Japanese native could not forget these popular items. “A yakuyoke.”

Rei nodded. “They help ward away evil spirits. Keep it on your person at all times.”

Haruka stroked the kanji’s threading with her fingertips. The craftsmanship was exquisite. She was not particularly spiritual or superstitious, but even the practical billionaire could not deny the mystical power circulating through it. 

“I’ll take all the help I can get at this point,” Haruka murmured grimly. She looked up at Rei, who seemed relaxed and relieved for the first time since they met. “Thanks, _Miko._ ”

Haruka buried the amulet in one of her pockets. Rei continued watching her, standing rigid at her bedside. She got the impression Rei wanted to say something, but was hesitating. 

Haruka turned her attention to her phone, watching the voicemail count pile up, thinking Rei would get the hint and leave. 

Still, the young woman stood in silence.

Annoyed, Haruka dropped her phone in her lap. “What?”

“I’m glad you and Michiru are okay.” Fists clenched at her sides, the fiery shrine maiden turned and stormed out of the room. Confused by her sudden change in demeanor, but relieved to be left alone, Haruka pushed Rei from her thoughts and got to work.

Haruka did not listen to her voicemails to know who she was going to call first. She dialed the number, hoping he would pick up. 

_“Boss? What the hell happened?”_

The worry in his voice made Haruka wince. “I haven’t watched the reports yet. But my helicopter crash landed off the shore thanks to another fucking asteroid. Michiru and I are fine.”

_“Thank God you’re okay. That’s really… fucked up.”_

Joshua had never been a poet. He didn’t mince words, nor was he particularly emotional. His neutral temperament made him an excellent head of security. Moments like these, when it was warranted, he was not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. Haruka thought about the handful of times he dared voicing his opinion; the most recent being when he asked if Michiru was going to be around for more than a couple of months. 

Haruka chuckled. Both at his succinct observation just now, and his comment back on Michiru’s birthday. 

Michiru’s birthday…

_“Boss?”_

An idea came to Haruka. She ran the diagnostics through her mind before committing. “Sorry. Yes, it was really fucked up. I’m at Michiru’s apartment now. No one else needs to know where I am. Understood?”

_“You got it, Boss. Anything else I can do?”_

“I’ll call you when I’m ready to get picked up. Call Andre and tell him Michiru and I need a change of clothes. Formal wear.”

_“Got it. See you later.”_

Haruka ended the call. She needed to delve into the emails and voicemails. She wondered what Michiru and Setsuna were up to, and found her head aching the more she thought about her lover. 

The business tycoon resorted to burying thoughts of Michiru and Neptune in favor of plowing through the repercussions of their unexpected accidents. Calling her corporate office was the logical next decision. Haruka directed her phone to call Jennifer. 

While waiting for the call to connect, Haruka stretched, testing her muscles. Everything from the tips of her fingers down to the base of her spine seemed to be in working order. Tendons stretched and joints popped. Haruka swung her legs over the side of the bed, ready to test the lower half of her body. 

_“Mr. Tenoh?”_ Jennifer’s relieved voice was raised to an unusual pitch. _“Please tell me you’re alright. The news coverage is showing your helicopter in pieces! I tried calling all the local hospitals but they won’t release any information to me-”_

“I’m fine,” Haruka interrupted her nervous rant. “I have about a hundred voicemails I haven’t checked yet. Handle the press today. Everything else can wait. Just tell them I’m recovering well. No other comments.”

_“And if they ask about Ms. Kaiou?”_ she hesitantly asked.

Haruka walked across the small bedroom. She stared out at the midday city streets. “Michiru’s attendance is pure conjecture on their part. So, no comments.”

_“Very well, sir. I’m relieved you’re both safe.”_

“Me too, thanks. Oh, and call Rothschild for me and tell him I’ll get in touch about rescheduling the event in India.” What Haruka neglected to add was a timeframe, which remained up in the air. She was in no hurry to leave solid ground anytime soon.

After ending the call, Haruka decided to venture out of the bedroom. She glanced at the wall calendar, featuring Mars for the month of April. The red and umber planet burned an image of fire and war inside of her. It stared back, unassuming. It did not beckon to her as Michiru’s painting at the art gallery had; but it was familiar and unsettling, with a personality of its own. 

Haruka fastened the top buttons of her shirt. She peeled off her damp socks that reeked of stale water and sweat. Feeling a little more refreshed, she entered the main room of the studio apartment. Rei was nowhere to be found, but she could hear her distant voice, presumably on her phone. 

She let herself into the kitchen. Finding bottled water in the fridge, she chugged an entire container, grabbed another, and began searching for the remote control to the television. 

Haruka turned the television on. Her eyes remained transfixed on the screen as she settled into the couch. Jennifer hadn’t been exaggerating; the local news was playing a reel that panned over the ocean’s surface. Bits of metal and rock and random debris floated along the water, while crews were scouring the murky depths for clues. Haruka searched the footage for hints of Setsuna or Rei standing around in lab coats like what Setsuna often wore, but neither of them were present or caught on camera. 

A flash of text across the bottom of the screen indicated Tenoh Headquarters recently responded to inquiries, providing the statement as Haruka directed. Satisfied, she turned most of her attention to her phone, responding to inquiries sent from her direct subordinates. 

Haruka checked through email after email, losing track of time. As she was responding to the president of her agricultural division, an incoming phone call interrupted.

Julian Wildes. The private investigator Haruka paid an absolutely frivolous salary to get her results quickly and confidentially. Haruka had utilized his services for years, beginning with a recommendation from Kaori when she began researching everyone from potential business partners to submissives. 

He never disappointed. 

She’d supplied him with dates and locations for every supernatural and near-death experience she and Michiru had, in the hopes that he could find something—anything— to prove they weren’t losing their minds. 

After weeks of no results, Haruka had begun thinking this recent assignment may have been above his reach. Hopefully this phone call would prove her wrong. 

“Tenoh here,” Haruka answered her phone. Given the anticipated nature of the phone call, she decided to take it outside. 

_“I've acquired some images I believe to fit the description of what you may be looking for, sir,”_ his deep voice resonated. Mr. Wildes was not a man to mince words. 

“Excellent. Electronic?”

_“As per our agreement.”_

“Send the encrypted message to my email and I’ll transfer the remainder of the sum.” 

_“Pleasure doing business with you, sir.”_

Haruka glanced down both ends of the empty hallway before speaking again. “One other thing. Have you heard from Ms. Kuromine or Mr. Kawakami recently?”

_“No.”_

Haruka ended the call. Her elation at his extensive, expensive, and probably not entirely legal work yielding results, was dulled by Kaori’s extended disappearance. Haruka would not be concerned if it hadn’t coincided with the events at the charity event, as well as that night’s revelation that Tomoe was involved with Kaori. Which also meant one of her employees was involved with the Death Busters gang, unbeknownst to her. 

The billionaire would have gladly let him go without a second thought; before she learned he had upset Michiru. 

Now they had a score to settle. 

Tucking away those thoughts for the time being, Haruka used her phone to log into an email account she shared with precious few individuals. One lonely email waited in the inbox.

Knowing the email was encrypted to deleted sixty seconds after being opened, she wasted no time downloading the two attached images. After watching the email from Julian successfully disappear, she entered the thumbprint-protected photo album in her phone and zoomed in on the first image.

“Holy shit…”

Haruka shook her head. She blinked. She rubbed her eyes. She even pinched herself. 

No, this wasn’t a dream. 

She hovered over the timestamp of the first image. It coincided exactly with the time and date Michiru claimed she was attacked. 

The small sliver of doubt Haruka had been subconsciously holding onto withered before the evidence. She was staring at a satellite image of the exact building she was standing in.

Well. Not exactly. 

According to the picture, the roof was blown away. In fact, their studio apartment as well as the floors below had been reduced to a huge, gaping hole. Haruka’s brain ran a mile a minute, trying to reconcile what she saw in the image with the fact that she was standing in the very hallway that should not exist according to this picture.

Haruka swiped to the second image. It took even longer for her brain to process what was going on in the picture. There were large bursts of color, not representing anything that made sense to her. Using her fingers to zoom in, she noticed three figures in the image. The low resolution made details impossible to discern. 

Inside of a round ball floated two people. Long, verdant hair and the fuzzy outline of what could only be the garnet rod were contained inside of a crimson sphere. It was her; one of the women from the masquerade ball. The woman who appeared in front of the asteroid seconds before it hit the helicopter. 

The woman with the garnet rod, who may or may not be Setsuna. Just as Michiru had said. 

Which meant…

Floating in the force field beside her was a blip of teal hair that could only belong to one person.

“I’ll be damned…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything I "know" about yakuyoke I learned from Google. So I hope it's relatively accurate.   
> Thanks for reading!


	23. Michiru's Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna gets Michiru up to speed.

**♆**

“Come, Michiru. We need to talk.”

Awake and alert, Sailor Neptune sat up in bed. Her eyes fell upon Haruka, unaware and oblivious, sleeping soundly beside her. Haruka’s features were exactly the same as they’d always been, in this life and the previous ones. Still, Michiru stared at her as if truly seeing her for the first time. 

“I can’t leave Haruka,” Michiru objected. The statement was a quiet whisper, so as not to awaken her, but it maintained its edge. 

“I’ll stay with her,” Rei offered. “I’ll text Setsuna as soon as she wakes up.”

Knowing Michiru’s mind, Setsuna spoke to persuade her. “You can’t protect her if you don’t know what you’re up against.”

Michiru frowned without looking away from Haruka’s peaceful slumber. Setsuna was right, as always. There was over twenty years of conflict she needed to be briefed on if she had any hope of pulling her weight in battle and keeping Haruka safe.

That fateful battle— when the invading alien’s discombobulated chunks of flesh regenerated into new beings right before their eyes— it was an incredible, frightening power they hadn’t known how to combat at the time. 

The battle Michiru witnessed hours earlier indicated something had changed in their favor. 

She had to know. Knowledge was power, and she needed all of it to protect Haruka. 

Michiru brushed Haruka’s bangs from her eyes. If Uranus was here, she would insist their never ending mission to protect the princess and the galaxy came first. 

Steeling her resolve, Michiru nodded. With feline agility, she slinked out from beneath the covers without disturbing her partner. Michiru’s unrelenting, icy stare fell to Rei, who did not need words to understand its meaning: if any harm befell Haruka while she was away, Rei would be answering to her. 

“She’ll be fine,” Rei responded to the silent threat with her own brand of animosity before plopping in the chair beside the bed. 

Setsuna left the room without hesitation. Michiru followed, eyes lingering on Haruka until she was out the door. 

The walk to Setsuna’s laboratory was only two blocks, but it might as well have been miles. Michiru strolled beside the time goddess, silent and lost in her jumbled thoughts. Setsuna was never one to be bothered by silence. Unlike Haruka, who was the embodiment of perpetual  
motion, Setsuna was calm and still. The immortal guardian left Michiru to her thoughts as they walked through the bustling city, giving her ample time to process her newly awakened memories.

After fifteen minutes of walking, Michiru did not feel any more composed; but she did feel more at peace. Setsuna’s stoic, unassuming presence had that effect. 

Michiru watched the statuesque figure as they approached the locked building. Sailor Pluto went about her business unlocking the camouflaged office tucked inside of a quiet, run down strip in the city. Michiru may as well have not been there, with how Setsuna carried herself. The only indication she received that the woman who’d raised and protected her these last eighteen years acknowledged her presence was a slight tug at the corner of her dark lips, accentuated with a brief, askew glance. 

Michiru did not need platitudes. Not from Setsuna. Her self-sacrifice, staying here to raise and protect her instead of contributing to the battles out in space alongside the other Senshi, told Michiru everything she needed to know. 

Most telling of all was the sparkling ring Setsuna wore on her left hand. The relic from their time together as an Outer Senshi family warmed Michiru’s heart. 

Neptune’s princess was disoriented, in disbelief she had been living this life with no remembrance of their previous life together and her true purpose as a guardian. 

Michiru wondered, as Setsuna let her into the laboratory, if her entire career as an astrophysicist was an elaborate scheme. She swallowed her questions as Setsuna led her through the unsuspicious room of scientific equipment. The workspace looked no different than when Michiru came years ago, when they first moved to New York. The same old shelves lined the walls. The same outdated microscopes decorated the pristine black countertops. 

On the surface, there was nothing out of sorts about this facility. 

Except Michiru knew better. 

When Setsuna paused before a locked stainless steel door with a sensor panel identical to the one on the safe in her bedroom, Michiru knew they were about to enter her true laboratory. Setsuna placed the flat of her palm against the reader. Hidden bolts clicked. Something hissed. The steel door slid open, revealing a small, dimly-lit elevator shaft. 

As the elevator took them below ground, Michiru thought now would be an appropriate time to say something. 

“Have there been any other deaths?”

“No. Once we realized the venom counteracts senshi healing and spreads throughout the victim’s body, we were deliberate in avoiding injuries. It is a worry of the past now.”

“Your incident on my birthday said otherwise,” Michiru reminded Setsuna with a playful incantation to her voice. 

The elevator came to a complete stop and opened up before them. “Come, you will see.”

Michiru entered the sterile, pristine lab. Fluorescent ceiling lights bathed the large room in artificial white light. Both modern and otherworldly equipment filled Setsuna’s workspace. What grabbed Michiru’s attention was a cylindrical glass container, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. More specifically, its contents captured her attention. 

Preserved inside of the transparent tube was one of the invaders, floating in a clear solution. It had no eyes, but it must have been looking at her, for when she paused to study the writhing mass of flesh, its pincer teeth began gnashing against its container. 

Michiru frowned, but otherwise did not react to its outburst. She had no love lost for this creature or its entire species. She blamed all of them for her and Haruka’s deaths. As she stared at the loathsome creature, watching bubbles escape its mouths as it tried screeching, she vowed revenge against them; for Haruka, herself, and the years of turmoil they had bestowed upon the princess and her fellow soldiers. 

“Michiru.”

Distracted by her vengeful thoughts, Michiru snapped back to attention. She turned around, finding Setsuna standing behind her, offering up a relic from her previous lifetime. 

Michiru’s aqua eyes widened. She remembered her precious instrument, of course, but had assumed it lost to time and conflict. 

“You kept it safe. All this time,” Michiru breathlessly observed. Setsuna only nodded as Neptune gingerly took the heavy case from her hands. Finding sufficient empty counter space, Michiru laid the wooden casket on its side. Snapping it open, she laid eyes upon an old friend she thought long deceased. 

“Marine Cathedral… Just as I remember.” 

Michiru lifted the string instrument from its home. The weight, the smell, the polished wood, the taut strings; everything was exactly as it should be. She cradled the long-lost companion to herself. Anxious to see if Marine Cathedral sounded as she recalled, but knowing now was not the time, she laid it back down and snapped the case closed. 

After reverently stroking the smooth, polished case, Michiru turned toward Setsuna. Sailor Pluto had a muted expression of pleasure on her otherwise blank face. 

“Thank you, Setsuna. For the last eighteen years. For this.” She gestured to her violin. “One could not ask for a better friend.”

“You have grown into an exceptional and intelligent young woman. That is all the thanks I need.” Setsuna hesitated before continuing, “I’ve kept your rings as well, but I thought--”

“That I’d want to wait for Haruka,” Michiru finished, voice tinged with melancholy. “Yes. I’ll wait.”

Setsuna gave a curt nod. She turned toward a cabinet, which also required her handprint to unlock, and reached inside. A curtain of verdant locks flourished as she closed the steel cabinet. 

First, Setsuna revealed her illustration pad that had gone missing after Mimete attacked her at the apartment. 

“I apologize for taking it,” Setsuna began as Michiru flipped through drawing after drawing. The three talismans; confusing, foreign objects haunting her dreams that she spent entire nights drawing, covered most of the pages. Michiru studied her illustrations incredulously, finding it difficult to believe she had no idea what these were. 

“I took them to study. Thinking your drawings would give me some clues as to your progression. Given the circumstances, I couldn’t exactly outright ask at the time,” Setsuna explained. 

Michiru was about to inquire on the day Mimete attacked and she lost this book. More specifically, how Setsuna had managed to completely restore the entire building. 

Then Michiru paused, noticing two syringes in Setsuna’s hand. The newly awakened Senshi had little time to guess what Setsuna was up to before she found herself being stabbed in the arm.

Michiru grimaced. She watched as Setsuna’s thumb drove the sparkling blue liquid inside of her. “And what is this?”

“A vaccine, so to speak.” Setsuna tossed the empty syringe into a wastebasket. “It counteracts the venom. If you find yourself bitten again, you will heal as normal. Do not consider this as permission to be reckless.”

“Of course,” Michiru agreed. The multiple times she cheated death the last couple of months flashed through her mind. Then again, she knew the water would not always be there to save or heal her from potent alien attacks. 

The tender spot in her arm vanished. She recalled the searing pain in her back when she grabbed Uranus. How the pain intensified with time, spreading across her back and seeping through her bloodstream. How she died, agonizingly slow, with her partner suffering the same fate beside her. Phantom pains shot across her lower spine. 

“You must find a way to administer this to Haruka,” Setsuna instructed while proffering the second syringe. 

Michiru accepted the syringe. Without this vaccine, a simple scratch from one of the hellish invaders could kill her. Assuming she would have no choice but to stab Haruka with the needle while she slept, Michiru dedicated herself to the task. “I will. The wound you suffered on my birthday?”

Chronos’ daughter shook her head. “This vaccine was still in trial phase. When Haruka administered it to me, I was not certain it would work.”

“And you had Haruka shoot it directly into your heart to accelerate its travel through your bloodstream?” Michiru assumed. As she recalled the traumatizing events of that night, Michiru reflected on Setsuna’s injured state. She truly was at the gates of the Underworld. More unsettling was how confident she had been that the solution would work, when in reality, she was gambling with fate. 

“Correct. I have Mercury’s ingenuity and Haruka’s bravery to thank.”

“Is this the same concoction I saw you stab the creature with this morning?” 

Setsuna nodded. “Yes. It halts their regeneration, making them vulnerable.”

Michiru gravely considered how frightening and perilous the last two decades must have been. She imagined her fellow senshi, as well as the prince and princess, must have been hiding out in the far corners of the galaxy, afraid to instigate conflict for fear of helping the enemy increase their ranks through regeneration. “And this was only finalized after my birthday? With you as the guinea pig?”

“That’s right.” Done with the current conversation, Setsuna led Michiru to a large semi-circular control panel, featuring a wide monitor mounted against the wall. Michiru studied the buttons and keyboards. 

“Is this a computer?” she asked, feeling naive and ignorant for posing such a question. Two decades worth of technological advancements, and the only significant technology she could use were tablets and smartphones.

“Yes, among other things. I can video conference with each castle’s main terminal.”

“And Princess Serenity?” Michiru prodded, curious about the bearer of the Legendary Silver Crystal. Michiru wondered how two decades worth of war had matured Usagi. Was she the same fun-loving, empathetic, energetic young woman Michiru remembered? Or had war hardened and desensitized her? 

Setsuna’s burgundy gaze softened. “We cannot call in now. She is overjoyed to hear you have returned to the ranks. Usagi has maintained her infectious zeal and love for life, rest assured.”

Michiru released the tension in her shoulders she was unaware she was holding until then. Nodding, she absently flicked her fingertips across the console. “I imagine this conflict has postponed the plans for Crystal Tokyo and reviving the Moon Palace?”

“Yes.” Setsuna leaned against the display. “Hope is not lost, despite how grim the situation appears. Our troops are spread thin across the galaxy. Until recently, our main tactic has been bait and switch; misleading them and throwing them off of Sailor Moon’s trail.”

“They are after the Legendary Silver Crystal?” Michiru assumed. The mystical, seemingly boundless energy the gem emitted, had a habit of drawing in power-hungry, volatile forces desperate to obtain its power for themselves. The crystal, a boundless source of life and energy, was a double-edged sword for the guardians and Princess Serenity. 

“We can only surmise. Their language remains a mystery. Ami and I are still unable to decipher it. However.” Setsuna tilted her head. Her large, maroon earrings dangled. “Now that we can halt their regenerative process, Rei and I have been hoping to capture one.”

“And interrogate it?” Michiru arched a teal eyebrow. When Setsuna nodded, she countered, “I don’t understand. You just said we can’t communicate with them.”

“Not in their natural form, no,” Setsuna began. Pluto tapped a button on the display, ordering the monitor to flicker awake. The screen had no wallpaper, save for a black background. Setsuna’s fingers hovered over a holographic display, signaling one of the folders on the monitor to open. Images of familiar people from her previous life, and also this one, stared back at her. 

Kaori Kuromine. Or rather, Kaolinite. And Tomoe “Kawakami.” And Mimete. And Viluy. Setsuna framed photographs of both versions of each person side-by-side. Michiru stared at the confusing images, unable to make the pieces fit. 

The Death Busters perished many, many years ago. How could they be alive and wreaking havoc over twenty years later? 

“Kaolinite…” Michiru’s jaw clenched, so hard she thought her teeth might crack. The current version of Kaolinite had done damaging, unspeakable things to her Haruka in this lifetime. Unforgivable, terrible things. Michiru had never asked for specifics, out of respect for Haruka’s privacy and fear for how she might react. Looking at the woman’s smug face and letting her imagination run wild caused unsettling nausea to bubble in Michiru’s gut. 

“How is this possible? They’re dead.”

“You recall the sample in my bedroom? No larger than a slug?” Setsuna asked. Michiru nodded. How could she forget the spike of adrenaline her unawakened, civilian form felt when that toothy slug rattled the petri dish. 

“The small Dromedons act as body snatchers. They crawl inside an orifice and take over the host. We first learned of this ability the night you were attacked by the pool. They assumed Mimete and Viluy’s forms.” 

Setsuna triggered Viluy and Mimete’s photos to appear on the screen above them. Aside from their outfits, the imitations appeared identical. “And we saw it again, with Kaolinite and Tomoe at the charity ball. We were hoping to capture Viluy or Mimete. Viluy was eradicated that day. Mimete escaped, only to later attack you in the apartment. Mars destroyed her, too.” 

“How?”

“Much similar to destroying their natural form. The alien life form slithers out of the human. Then we destroy it with the serum.”

The more Michiru learned, the less sense this all made. “They only assume the form of Death Busters?”

“To our knowledge.”

“Why?”

Setsuna’s brows furrowed. “We only have theories.”

Setsuna’s hesitation gave Michiru pause. “Such as?”

Before speaking, Setsuna procured a new image on the screen. It was a large, gelatinous blob, similar to the other Dromedons Michiru had witnessed. It bore a strange, pulsating black symbol in its center. The symbol was the same one she noticed on Mimete’s forehead; swirls of malevolent energy in the shape of a starburst. 

Light thrummed from inside of it, pouring through sinuous layers of flesh. What the monster lacked in gnashing teeth like its kin, it made up for with round, crimson orbs that Michiru could only assume were eyeballs.

“Neptune’s Trident,” Michiru whispered in horrified fascination. “What is that?”

Setsuna took a deep breath before delving into an explanation. “The source of their power, we think. Or a supreme being. We spent years covertly tracking the enemy’s movements. Eventually, we were able to trace their patterns, and discovered they were making routine trips to visit this entity, which they had concealed in the far reaches of the Milky Way. The Dromedons connect to it, in a manner of speaking. We believe they are communicating with it. Or passing along information.”

Michiru nodded in silence, waiting for Setsuna’s explanation to circle back to her original question. 

Pluto cleared her throat. “My theory is not a popular one amongst the senshi. However, the only link I can find connecting the Dromedons and the Death Busters would be you and Haruka.”

Michiru straightened to attention. “Elaborate, please.”

“You two are the only senshi to have been slain by them. I believe your injuries, or your deaths, were more than just a physical connection to the Dromedon. What if they tapped into your memories? Found antagonizing figures from your past to haunt you? Death Buster doppelgangers have had significant influences in Haruka’s life for years. I cannot believe there is no reason for it.”

Michiru crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned against the display, crossing her legs at the ankles. Setsuna’s theory was outlandish, at the surface. 

The longer Michiru considered her proposal, the more she believed it could be true. She had been protected by Setsuna all these years, so the enemy targeted Haruka. Molding her, shaping her, trying to use her memories and turn her into something she was not. Perhaps the Dromedons had absorbed their memories after all. 

Something told Michiru the missing piece was infinitely more complicated, but it was a sound theory for now.

“To what end?” Sailor Neptune wondered aloud.

“I cannot say,” Setsuna admitted with slight dejection to her voice. “And if they did absorb your memories, it means they know infinitely more about us than we do them.”

“Kaori has been in Haruka’s life for years, and didn’t kill her. Why?” Michiru paused, remembering her encounter with Mimete. “Mimete mentioned me ‘waking up.’ As if she wanted Neptune to awaken.”

Setsuna nodded. “That is another theory of mine as well. But I can’t imagine why they would want that. Having you and Uranus on our side significantly increases our power. Has Haruka said anything about Kaori? Aside from appearing as a Death Buster, has she done anything else that might encourage her to awaken?” 

The one activity Michiru was aware of was certainly not something she was prepared to share with Setsuna. It was something that incited jealousy and rage within her; magnified a thousandfold now that she had her memories. How dare that filthy, despicable creature take advantage of her Haruka, touching her and playing with her the same way she used to…

The color drained from Michiru’s face as realization hit her like a brick wall. The Dromedon recruiting, and continually encouraging, the BDSM lifestyle with Haruka suddenly made sense. If their ultimate goal was for Haruka to awaken, through assuming familiar forms and reenacting certain memories, then it made perfect sense for Kaori to imitate the intimate bedroom play Michiru and Haruka had begun experimenting with before they died. 

“Michiru?” Setsuna prompted, no doubt sensing something was amiss. 

“No. Nothing.” Michiru knew she had to change the subject before turning blind with rage. She pointed at the unique Dromedon on the screen. “You said you tracked this. Did the senshi attack it?”

Setsuna’s attention focused on the Dromedon’s image. She assumed a far-off, intense look, as if she were reliving a horrific nightmare. “We did. All of us lent our power to Sailor Moon. Borrowing our powers, she launched a full scale attack with the Legendary Silver Crystal.”

SIlence hung in the air between them, forcing Michiru to prompt her. “And?”

“And it had no effect,” Setsuna answered at length. “We poured all of our energy into her, and in turn, she cast every ounce of her life force at it.  
She tried purifying it. Even tried destroying it. We almost lost her that day. We retreated, barely making it out alive. The prince spent days nursing her back to health in seclusion. The monster retreated, and we have not been able to locate it since.”

The sea rumbled in response to Neptune’s fury. The princess had put her life in danger, risking her life to protect their galaxy, while she was an unsuspecting child, whittling away time they could ill-afford to waste. 

“So you see, Michiru,” Setsuna placed a hand on her shoulder. “We need you. Neptune and Uranus. Without the power of all the guardian planets, Sailor Moon is not strong enough to defeat this enemy.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t know it will work. Even if Uranus awakens, you are only assuming all of our combined power will purify the enemy.”

“Not _if_ Uranus awakens. When,” Setsuna retorted. The time guardian’s tone deepened to a dangerous octave, causing Michiru to check herself. 

Without realizing it, Michiru had turned combative against Setsuna, and she wasn’t sure why. 

Sensing the quizzical look on Michiru’s face, Setsuna softened. “Uranus’ awakening is inevitable. You wish to protect her. Your mission is to protect her from our enemies. Not from her true self. Not from her destiny.”

Michiru blanched under the intensity of Setsuna’s omniscient stare. Pluto was right; Michiru’s instinct was to protect Haruka from herself. Her violent, blood-soaked destiny as a sailor guardian. 

“But the enemy wants her to awaken. Which tells me we shouldn’t encourage it.”

She remembered their previous lifetime; her innate desire to push Haruka away from her birthright in a desperate attempt to let her continue living as an ambitious, talented, popular high school student. Michiru would have shouldered the burden of all the bloodshed and the battles if it meant Haruka could continue her races and sports in blissful ignorance. 

However, a life of luxury was not meant for either of them. Not then, and not now. 

Setsuna was probably correct; Uranus’ awakening was most likely inevitable. 

Patient burgundy orbs studied Neptune as she worked through her thoughts. “We don’t know for certain,” Setsuna spoke, “and the truth of the matter is, we need Uranus. Whatever the enemy’s plans, we’ll have to beat them to the punch.” 

“You’re right. All I want is to protect her. Part of me does wants to preserve her innocence and ignorance, as you said. The other, selfish part wants Uranus, my comrade-in-arms and fellow sailor beside me. I love this Haruka… but she’s different.”

_And she doesn’t remember us._

“As are you,” Setsuna reassured her. The immortal guardian’s unrelenting gaze persisted. “You carry within you another lifetime’s worth of experiences. Every joy and sadness from the last eighteen years is just as much a part of you as the Silver Millennium.” 

Michiru squeezed Setsuna’s hand in a rare moment of affection and vulnerability. “And yet everything before this morning feels like a dream.”

“I imagine you must feel quite disoriented,” Setsuna offered.

Michiru’s mind raced. She circled back to their conversation before it had taken the uncomfortably personal route. “My question still stands: what if Uranus awakens and our combined strength still cannot win the battle for us?”

“I think you know,” Setsuna cryptically responded.

“Saturn…” Michiru considered the Senshi of Death. During their fateful encounter with the enemy over twenty years ago, Sailor Saturn had been prepared to swing her glaive; ending the threat… along with everything else. “How have you stayed her hand for over twenty years?”

At the mention of the senshi and daughter they raised together decades ago, Setsuna’s demeanor shifted. The considerate, maternal facet of her personality shone through. “Princess Serenity and I convinced her to wait. For you and Uranus to awaken. I daresay she has softened after being raised by the three of us.”

Sailor Pluto’s half-joke brought a distant smile to Michiru’s lips. “She isn’t the only one.”

“Would you like to arrange a meeting? Or a video conference?”

Michiru’s heart ached. There were precious few people outside of Haruka she could confidently say she loved. While each and every fellow senshi held a special place in her heart, she felt an overwhelming need to lay eyes upon Hotaru, the babe she once cradled in her arms, and Princess Serenity; her liege, the woman whose legacy she vowed to protect above all else. 

But Michiru knew she couldn’t. Not without Uranus. Even this covert meeting felt like a betrayal. Michiru could not fathom meeting the princess or their daughter without Haruka by her side. 

“I’ll wait.”

Setsuna nodded. She undoubtedly expected Michiru to hold off on as much as possible. “I’ll have a new cell phone for you tomorrow. It will have everyone’s numbers programmed into it. With recent technological advances, we can now contact each other no matter our locations in the galaxy. Granted, the reception tends to be fuzzy.”

The artist had completely forgotten about her cell phone, now sunk to the bottom of the ocean with the rest of her purse’s contents. “Thank you.”

As if on cue, Setsuna’s cell phone vibrated in her coat pocket. She checked the message. “Haruka is awake and doing well.”

“Good.” Michiru’s jaw set firm, displaying as little emotion as possible. Neptune’s princess could not say why she was stubbornly trying to shield her emotions around Setsuna. It was pure folly, after all. The quiet, observant woman knew Michiru’s heart better than most. 

“Michiru.” Setsuna leveled her gaze. “You must try dissuading Haruka from pursuing the truth. The more she learns, the higher the chances she will put herself in harm’s way under the misconception that she is protecting you. Without her powers, she is too vulnerable. Her only saving grace is the security she employs.”

Difficult and gut-wrenching as it would be, Michiru agreed with Setsuna to a point. “And why couldn’t you just tell us? Tell me?”

Setsuna stared across the room. “The headaches you suffered. They were signals of your power trying to awaken. Something has been pushing the two of you back, severely delaying your awakening. You were able to push through it to save Haruka. I should have known. I should have known saving Haruka’s life would be the catalyst. 

“The problem is that these headaches have the potential to be more. You probably don’t remember this. But when you were twelve, shortly after we moved here, there was an… incident.”

Incident? Michiru didn’t recall any incidents. 

“You reached into my coat pocket and grabbed my lip rod, thinking it was a pen. Holding it, looking at it. Feeling its energy. It overloaded you. You experienced more than just a migraine. Your entire body convulsed. You went into seizures. I stabilized you, only for you to enter a coma for over a week. Ami came, and the two of us did not leave your bedside the entire time. I thought I’d lost you.”

Michiru shook her head in disbelief. Not because she believed Setsuna to be lying, but because she couldn’t fathom forgetting something so traumatic. 

“So, you see…” Setsuna measured Michiru with her serious gaze. “We decided, since that incident, we had to go to great lengths to protect you from the truth. Whatever held you, and currently holds Uranus back, it can be lethal if the time is not right.”

“Like what happened at the apartment? How did you restore the entire building?”

“Ah. This should interest you.” Setsuna’s demeanor brightened, albeit slightly. “With Ami’s assistance, some of us have learned how to combine our attributes and create entirely new abilities. Combining Saturn’s Rebirth powers with my Time governance, we’re now able to restore inanimate objects to previous states of existence. And so, with Saturn’s assistance, I restored the apartment to its exact state moments before Mimete attacked. Our ability does not work on sentient creatures. Nor can we go too far back in time without draining too much of Hotaru’s energy. But it certainly has its uses.”

Michiru was impressed, and especially proud of Hotaru evolving her powers alongside the other senshi. Her pride did not stop the flashes of guilt and frustration over essentially being left behind for so many years. 

“But what about our neighbors? Were there any casualties?”

Setsuna tilted her head, looking like she wanted to laugh. “Neighbors? Haven’t you noticed we have none? I, or rather, we, own this entire complex. In fact, every building we passed on the way here is owned by one senshi or another using false aliases.”

“Oh.” Michiru’s was stupefied by her own ignorance and tunnel vision all these years. The person she had been until that morning was not nearly as astute and observant as she should have been. How had they lived here for six years without her noticing or questioning the clandestine solitude in their pocket of the city?

“Do not be too hard on yourself. Gods know I’ve done my best to keep you sheltered and occupied all this time,” Setsuna paused. “I’m sorry.”

“You were only doing what you had to,” Michiru dismissed the apology. Sailor Neptune knew her feelings of frustration and ineptitude were useless distractions. Michiru’s focus, her mission, was to protect Haruka from the enemy and the truth. Now that she was herself again, there would be no more gross oversights. “I will keep Haruka safe.”

“I know. Try not to concern yourself with the greater scheme of things. The princess is protected, and we are slowly dwindling the enemy’s ranks. It is all we can do until Uranus awakens or there is some other shift of power.”

Setsuna spoke of Haruka as if she were nothing more than a hollow vessel. Michiru tried not to take her demeanor personally; Setsuna’s concern was the fate of the galaxy. She cared little for sparing Michiru’s illogical reactions whenever Haruka was concerned. 

Besides, the ring Setsuna insistently wore for years on end spoke to the true depths of her feelings. 

“One more question, before we return,” Michiru prompted. That statement was a small lie. She had many, many questions swarming in the depths of her eternal consciousness. But Haruka was waiting, and her queries would have to wait. 

Setsuna powered down the monitor in preparation for their return to the apartment. “Yes?”

“Why me?” Michiru uncrossed her ankles and stood. She studied the older senshi who acted as her sole parental figure for the last six years. “Haruka was reborn first. Why weren’t you there for her?”

Setsuna turned toward the preserved alien carcass, suspended in its liquid prison. The creature was docile now. Pluto’s timeless gaze stared through the test subject as she isolated memories from the vast vault of her endless experiences. 

“The birth of a guardian planet’s starseed is a remarkable, powerful event. When Uranus’ light entered the universe once more, each and every one of us felt it. A gale burst through the isolated darkness. Our foreheads burst with the energy of a thousand tornadoes. We knew Haruka’s presence had graced the universe once more.”

Michiru wished she could have been alive to feel the innocent, bright light of Uranus’ newborn starseed resonating in her soul. 

“Princess Serenity decreed I would be the one to supervise and protect the two of you. An assignment I accepted without hesitation. However…” Setsuna crossed her arms over her chest as she considered her words. “When Haruka was reborn, we were deep in the trenches, hiding on the outskirts of Eris’ atmosphere. We were surrounded. I tried teleporting to Charon castle, but the device was not responding.”

Setsuna’s visage darkened, giving Michiru a small view of the melancholy within her. “Concerned for my castle, I braved the dangers and flew straight to Pluto. It was overrun with Dromedons. They destroyed Charon castle, presumably in pursuit of us.”

“That’s terrible.” Michiru reached out. When Setsuna did not pull away, she held the wise soldier’s hand, grounding herself with the diamond ring. “I’m sorry.”

“Left with no other options, I flew all the way to Neptune and used the teleporter in Triton Castle. But by the time I arrived on Earth, years had passed. Haruka had already been adopted by a wealthy, secluded Japanese family. I tried reaching out to them multiple times, but received no response. I resorted to watching from afar. That is, until you were born.”

“When we moved to New York… that was when Haruka also relocated to the States. That wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”

“No,” Setsuna admitted. “The timing of your parents’ death was entirely coincidental. I searched the scene and read all of the police and emergency responder reports… I could not detect any foul play. I haven’t completely written off the possibility, but I have been unable to prove it. In any case, I decided if you and Haruka were to be reunited in this life, we had to follow her to New York.”

“They don’t seem real,” Michiru whispered. Whenever she tried conjuring mental images of the Japanese musicians who gave her life and passed on their love of music to her, completely oblivious to her eternal bond with the violin, the memories were buried under layers of hazy fog. 

“They were very real. And they loved you very much.” Setsuna covered Michiru’s hand on hers with her opposite hand for a brief moment before pulling away. “Let’s return. Haruka awaits, and we should do our best not to arouse suspicion.”

Michiru gathered Marine Cathedral, her sketch pad, the vaccine for Haruka, as well as some loaded syringes. Having no purse, she shoved them into her denim pockets for the time being. 

The future was a more tumultuous, erratic landscape than it had been when she awoke that morning. Michiru was unsure how she would navigate her complex feelings amongst her mission and the safety of the galaxy. Then there was the matter of lying to Haruka for however long it would take for Uranus’ starseed to organically awaken inside her. 

As Michiru stared at the daughter of Chronos, the crashing waves of her subconscious stilled. If Pluto, the keeper of time who could see all possible outcomes of this conflict, could remain unperturbed, then so could she. 

Besides, Michiru knew she could handle whatever the future threw her way, as long as Haruka was by her side. 

“Let’s go. I’ll arrange a meeting between the three of us once your new phone is ready.” Setsuna looked Michiru up and down in subtle gratitude and affection. “It’s good to have you back, Neptune.”

**♆**

Michiru and Setsuna entered the apartment, finding Rei and Haruka in the main room, watching the news. The two were cohabiting the space quietly. Rei was lounging on the sofa, legs crossed and cell phone in hand. Haruka was leaning against the kitchen counter, hands dug deep in her suit pants pockets. 

Michiru’s breath caught in her throat. She frozen in place, causing Setsuna to almost knock her over as she entered the apartment behind her. 

Michiru expected Haruka to be bedraggled in the same damp outfit she had slept in. 

Instead, the runner was dressed in a sharp, form fitting suit that was not shy about accentuating her feminine curves. The suit jacket and pants were white as fresh snow. Michiru could not help but notice how the fabric clung to her muscular thighs, unlike the loose-fitting pants Haruka typically wore. Her dress shirt was a bold red button-up, split by a matching striped tie. Michiru had never seen Haruka in this shade of red before. The color was absolutely stunning.

Looking rather proud of herself, Haruka strut across the room. The witnesses in the apartment ceased to exist. Michiru only had eyes for Haruka, who was staring at her like she was the only woman in the universe. 

Stormy grey eyes crinkled with mirth as Michiru drank in the sight of her lover in this new suit. Haruka gently tugged at the Pisces necklace before giving Michiru a peck on her forehead. 

“Your dress is in your bedroom.”

“What?” Michiru found her voice. Haruka had showered; she smelled like Michiru’s shampoo and body wash. It was different than the musk she had grown accustomed to, but she rather liked the juxtaposition of the feminine perfumes against Haruka’s more masculine appearance. 

“Since we can’t eat dinner in India like we originally planned, I figured we should do the next best thing.”

“Do you feel well enough to go out?” Michiru asked, despite having no inclination to turn down Haruka’s sudden romantic gesture. 

“Better than ever. Looks like you two aren’t the only ones who heal quickly,” Haruka chuckled. 

Michiru noticed Haruka staring at her lips. Tempted as she was to claim her mouth here and now, Michiru decided it would be best to try subduing her desires until they were alone. 

Sailor Neptune could think of one way to keep her mind from the Dromedons and the truth she must hide from her Heavenly Warrior. 

“Good. Because I know exactly what we’re doing after dinner.”

Haruka’s cheeks flushed redder than her shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is an info dump. It goes against my typical "Show, Don't Tell" methodology when it comes to writing. But... I couldn't come up with another way to explain all of the behind the scene events that have taken place in the story so far (Without writing many, many flashback scenes in Pluto or Mars' POV, anyway)
> 
> Besides, it's nice when Setsuna actually talks, right?


	24. More Than You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka and Michiru come to an agreement.

**♅**

“Hey, you okay?” Haruka laid a hand on Michiru’s arm. Her partner had been strangely solemn the entire car ride. Haruka chalked it up to their near-death experience that morning. Those events were becoming too common lately, and they were no closer to learning what the hell was going on. For her part, Haruka was in a better mood than she should have been. Between the satellite photos Julian sent, her long nap, and her spontaneous dinner date idea, Haruka was feeling much better than she had any right to be. 

Michiru also returned with a new violin Haruka had yet to ask her about. Aside from noncommittal comments on the topic, Michiru had not specifically stated she would be playing again. Haruka wondered if she made up her mind without saying so, or if Setsuna was pushing her into playing again for some reason.

Michiru turned from gazing out the window, looking straight at Haruka for the first time since the ride began. Her hand rested on Haruka’s. “I’m fine.”

Not caring that the vehicle was still in motion, Haruka unbuckled herself and slid across the backseat so she was snuggled beside Michiru. She felt Joshua’s unapproving eyebrow raise at her disregard for seatbelt laws. “What are you thinking?”

Michiru’s eyes scanned Haruka’s body in her white and red suit. “Now I understand how you felt. Pulling me out of the water. Thinking I was dead. It’s… sobering.”

“That was all my fault. I never should have put you in that helicopter—“

An ironic laugh interrupted Haruka’s guilt-stricken apology. “None of this is your fault, Haruka.”

Her tone was confusing. The wry, sardonic words didn’t match her disposition. Before Haruka could protest, Joshua stopped the Lamborghini and turned to face them. “Hey Michiru, look.”

He pointed toward the tinted window before letting himself out of the vehicle. Haruka hid her smile as Michiru followed his finger, looking upon the restaurant they were parked beside. 

“Deep Sea Sashimi?” Michiru turned to Haruka with a raised eyebrow. “We were supposed to be in India tonight. How did you get reservations with such short notice?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Haruka grinned. She gestured toward the establishment they were supposed to eat at on Michiru’s birthday. “Let’s finally have that sashimi.”

Michiru’s door popped open. Joshua took her hand and led her out of the car. Haruka shuffled out as gracefully as possible after her date. Michiru locked elbows with Haruka, watching as Joshua handed his keys to a valet attendant. 

“What is he doing?”

“Joshua?” Haruka frowned. Aside from casual conversation, Michiru had never concerned herself with his actions before. “He’s doing his job. He’ll be patrolling the block.”

“Do you think that’s necessary?” 

“You were attacked. Not once, but twice! And Mimi’s still at large. So yeah, I do think it’s necessary.” Haruka tried smothering her rising temper. She grew angrier with herself every time she mentally reenacted the events of those mysterious photographs. Haruka was unable to protect Michiru then. She’d be damned if she didn’t do everything in her power to keep Michiru protected now. 

“In fact, I think it would be best if you had security with you at all times until this nonsense gets settled,” Haruka insisted. 

Michiru watched Joshua as he nodded to them and set off to inspect their surroundings. Haruka saw the concern etched on Michiru’s face. She knew Michiru had grown fond of him, but hadn’t realized until now that she feared for his safety. 

“Don’t worry about Joshua. He’s a professional. Anyway, let’s go. We can talk about it over dinner.”

Michiru demurred with a soft sigh. Whatever she was thinking, she kept her thoughts to herself as they entered the extravagant restaurant. Haruka heard the traditional Japanese music softly playing in the background. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the high ceiling, reflecting facets of white light in Michiru’s eyes. 

Truth be told, Haruka had a hard time looking away from her elegant partner. The ivory dress that clung to her delectable curves and the red shawl draped over her shoulders fit perfectly. Michiru was always beautiful in Haruka’s eyes, but the meticulously designed dress made it nearly impossible to look away. 

“Mr. Tenoh!” The same host that was present Michiru’s birthday was working. “I couldn’t believe it when the manager told me you called for reservations. I saw what happened to your helicopter on the news, I can’t believe you--”

Haruka raised her hand to silence him. “I just want a quiet dinner with my girlfriend. I’m feeling fine, and I’d appreciate it if you’d tell anyone else who asks that I’m doing well. And more importantly, that I don’t want to be interrupted.”

“Oh, uhm, of course, sir.” The host bowed repeatedly. 

“Thank you. I’ll make sure you’re well compensated for the trouble of hosting me today. Now, about our table?” Haruka asked while snaking an arm around Michiru’s waist. 

“Your table is ready, sir. Right this way, sir!” 

Michiru gave the host a bemused smile. If he noticed Haruka’s unrestricted breasts or the subtle curves her pants hugged, he gave no sign. Haruka was grateful for his discretion; the last thing she wanted was undue attention. 

The couple were led to a private, circular table in a dimly-lit corner. After pulling Michiru’s chair out for her, the host lit two votive candles and handed them copies of the menu. 

“Would the couple like drinks?” 

“Green tea for myself,” Haruka ordered. Wine sounded better, but it would be inconsiderate to order alcohol when Michiru was considered underage in New York. 

“Very good. And you, miss?” The host turned to Michiru, who graced him with her poised, practiced smile. 

“The same, thank you.”

“Then I shall fetch your drinks. Your waiter will be with you shortly.”

He bowed to Haruka once more. Not wanting the special attention, but also not wanting to be rude, Haruka slightly lowered her head in response. She grumbled under her breath at the inquisitive glances they were receiving from the restaurant’s other patrons. 

“They’re wondering why you’re here and not at a hospital,” Michiru scolded as if reading her mind. “Why are we here, anyway?” 

“I’m fine,” Haruka objected without answering the question. Michiru was hardly one to talk, as she had experienced her fair share of miraculous recoveries. “Miko took good care of me.”

“Miko?” Michiru paused. After guessing who Haruka was referring to, she continued in a singsong voice, “giving pet names to pretty girls… I suppose you are feeling better.”

“Don’t be jealous.” Haruka returned the banter with her own teasing flair. “I only call her that because she doesn’t like it.” 

Michiru gave Haruka a dubious glare before turning her attention to the menu. She flipped it open and browsed its contents with forced interest. Michiru already knew what she was going to order, after all, Haruka assumed. She never had the chance to eat the meal she originally wanted over a month ago. 

The host returned with a cast iron teapot, painted gold. As he prepared their drinks, Haruka leaned forward and laced her fingers together. “What’s with the new violin?”

“Setsuna gave it to me,” Michiru answered without looking up from the menu. 

“I figured. But why? Do you have plans to play again?”

“I was undecided. Now I think I will play again. How many more near-death experiences does one need before learning to start living life to the fullest?” 

“And she had to give you the violin right then? It couldn’t have waited another day?”

“Setsuna’s always had peculiar timing with things like this. She also wanted me to pick out a new cell phone. I ordered one… It should be in within a few days.” 

“I don’t understand.” Haruka busied her hands with her filled teacup. She nodded to the host, who thanked them and disappeared. Nothing had made sense for weeks. Since meeting Michiru, it was as if her entire universe had been flipped upside down. Haruka could live with that, as long as she had Michiru beside her. But now Michiru was acting just as strangely, and she couldn’t figure out why. “Why would she wait all this time, then? She could have bought you a new violin back when she gave you Varius.”

Michiru shook her downcast head. “It’s not a new violin. Marine Cathedral is its name. And it’s been mine-- in my family, I mean-- for a long time. She found it.”

“Michiru.”

“Hmm?”

“Stop looking at the menu. You already know you’re going to order salmon and butterfish served with rice.” Haruka hated speaking to Michiru like that. The demanding, authoritative words sounded disrespectful as she spoke, and had no place outside of their bedroom antics.

The gesture worked, to Haruka’s chagrin. Closing her menu, Michiru folded her hands on top of it. 

“You have my full attention,” Michiru responded. Her voice lacked the playful lilt Haruka had come to expect. There was something different about her. Michiru’s teal brows were etched and unrelenting. Her detached, cool demeanor sent shivers down Haruka’s spine. 

Sitting across the table, Haruka could think of only one thing to help relieve Michiru of whatever tension she was bottling inside. Haruka extended her forearm across the table, palm open and facing the ceiling, silently inviting Michiru to hold her hand. 

Michiru’s breath caught in her throat. Haruka noticed the slight hitch in her throat before Michiru’s aura washed over her. Their palms pressed together. Michiru’s skin barely grazed hers, and yet the electric energy and the weight of a thousand worries poured from her with the force of a broken floodgate. 

“Let’s play together. When you’re ready. Would you like that?” Haruka gently prodded. If the violin was an old family heirloom, Michiru was probably feeling nostalgic and missing her parents. Haruka hoped she was right. Otherwise, she wasn’t sure how else to address Michiru’s misery. 

Michiru closed her eyes. “Yes. I would like that.”

“You seem… sad.” Haruka inwardly cursed her lack of eloquence. “Thinking about your parents?”

“Days long passed,” Michiru answered. Her vague answer didn’t satisfy Haruka. She wanted to know everything. Everything about Michiru. Her every thought and memory. There was still so much to learn about this intelligent, talented prodigy, and Haruka was the most willing student Michiru would ever find. 

Michiru’s fingernails grazed the inside of Haruka’s palm. The slight tickling gesture straightened the hairs on Haruka’s arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’ve wasted enough time brooding.” Michiru entwined their fingers together. The frustration weighing down her angelic features slightly melted. “Thank you for this.”

“Happy belated birthday.” Haruka gave Michiru a crooked grin. 

“Thank you.” Michiru smiled, but it was hollow. 

Before Haruka could comment, the waitress appeared to take their order. She was cordial and polite, but her eyes continuously shifted over Haruka’s upper body and she appeared nervous. After deciding on appetizers and main courses, the waitress took their menus and left. 

Alone again, Haruka considered Michiru’s distant, aloof mood. She was absently stroking Haruka’s palm with her manicured fingernails. She was deflated. Depressed, almost. Haruka wasn’t sure if she should bring up the photographs now. Reminding Michiru of the attack might further diminish her attitude. 

Desperate to turn the tide, Haruka brought up the only thing she could think of that would brighten Michiru’s day. 

If this didn’t work, nothing would. “I was thinking… If you were up for it… You could pick whatever you want to do tonight.”

“Even after last night?” Michiru asked, wryly grinning when she noticed the predictable heat creeping up Haruka’s neck. 

It was impossible for Haruka not to turn red. Considering the things she let Michiru do to her the prior evening, while sitting in an expensive formal restaurant, made her frustratingly flustered. 

“Even after last night.” Haruka shifted in her seat. The whip’s sharp crack resonated in her ears. Haruka trusted Michiru, surrendering herself completely to the limits of Michiru’s imagination. The pain and pleasure culminated in a way they never had when Haruka was Kaori’s submissive years ago. Everything about their intimate together was familiar, and unquestionably right. 

“Well… I do have a few ideas…” Michiru perked up. Haruka smiled, satisfied to see her coming back around. 

“I thought you might.” Haruka’s already deep voice dropped another octave. Tapping into Michiru’s insatiable lust was a surefire way to pull her from whatever gloom she was saturating herself in. 

The waitress arrived with two bowls of yellow miso soup featuring seasonal garnishes. After refilling their tea and water, she bowed and made herself scarce once more. 

Haruka observed Michiru while she stirred the ingredients in her bowl, dipped her wooden spoon in the broth, and sampled it’s heat before sipping. Her lips were painted bright crimson; matching the shawl warming her shoulders. Haruka hadn’t expected the color to match her teal hair as well as it did; a small example reminding her that she trusted Andre’s judgment when it came to these things for a reason. 

“Are you going to let your bowl of the most expensive miso soup in New York City get cold?” 

The tease in Michiru’s voice was unmistakable, forced as it was. Whatever was bothering her, at least she was trying to move beyond it. “You’re very distracting… Even when you don’t mean to be.”

“And when I mean to be?” 

“I’m yours completely.”

Michiru’s eyes narrowed, both haunting and seductive. Haruka noticed them trail down the length of her tie before rising to meet hers. “I know.”

Haruka’s cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She checked the notifications, finding more press releases she planned on ignoring the rest of the day. Staring at the small monitor, she decided she may as well address the elephant in the room. 

“Michiru?”

“Hm?” she purred and slid her empty soup bowl to the side of the table for the waitress to collect. 

“Look at this.” 

After using her thumbprint to unlock the hidden photos, Haruka leaned across the table. She placed the phone facing Michiru in the empty place her soup bowl recently occupied. 

The artist lowered her head and began inspecting the image before her. Her eyes widened considerably. While Michiru took her time processing what she was looking at, Haruka whispered excitedly.

“These pictures prove everything you said happened! The woman with the red orb, Mimete… it’s all there. Right in your apartment! The roof and the entire building are blown away! We finally have solid evidence. And she looks just like Setsuna! I agree with what you said before… All this crazy shit can’t be coincidental.”

Haruka paused her rambling long enough for the waitress to take their soup bowls away. 

“Haruka… How did you get these pictures?” Michiru whispered, looking like she had seen a ghost. 

“I paid a private investigator a lot of money. His work is strictly confidential. I don’t know what lengths he went to to get these, as per our arrangement. I mean, my guess is he hacked into some satellite databases to get these. But I don’t really care how he got them. He’s also looking into the nights of our other strange occurrences.”

Michiru returned Haruka’s phone. Her eyes winced as if she were in pain. “I’m not sure that would be a prudent idea.”

Haruka balked. Michiru didn’t appear happy in the slightest that Haruka had proof she hadn’t imagined the entire encounter. The day after it happened, Michiru wanted nothing more than to unearth the true. It was as if she’d changed her mind completely. 

“What? Why not?”

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when the waitress returned. Haruka looked at her heavenly sashimi platter, frustrated that her appetite had vanished. Michiru gave the waitress a chilling, dismissing glance, causing her to scurry away. 

When she was out of earshot, Michiru leaned over her dinner and countered in a whisper. “Because it won’t change anything. Setsuna and Rei won’t crack. And you can’t go to the media with this. They’ll label you as a conspiracy theorist at best or a washed-up drug addict at worst. Over pictures that could’ve easily been photoshopped.” She took a deep breath, then added, “besides… I’d hate for you to take such risky behavior on my behalf.”

Michiru was visibly upset. Defeated, even. She absently played with her food, seeming to have lost her appetite as well. 

“So you want to drop it? Just like that? You know these weird events are going to keep happening.”

“I’m sure they will. And I don’t think they’ll stop because you’re spending an obscene amount of money paying someone to illegally acquire images of them. It doesn’t feel right… It’s too risky.”

Haruka couldn’t believe her ears. Only days ago Michiru shared her passion for unearthing the truth of what was happening. The untraceable asteroids, the two magical women, someone or something wanting Michiru dead— Michiru wanted to know. Her apartment blowing up around her one night, only to reappear the following day as if nothing happened, was the last straw for both of them. 

And now, out of the blue, Michiru wanted Haruka to drop the investigation? Just like that?

“You’re not making any sense,” Haruka persisted. “It was Setsuna, wasn’t it? The violin was just a cover up. She told you to stop prying, didn’t she? Did she threaten you?”

“Haruka… Listen to yourself,” Michiru chided. With robotic tension, she exhaled and placed her chopsticks flat across her plate. Haruka wondered what Michiru was thinking as she took slow, therapeutic breaths. Haruka knew she had upset her, but she didn’t care anymore. 

Michiru’s life was in danger, and instead of supporting Haruka in learning the truth as they planned, she was patronizing her.

“I can hear myself just fine. What happened to you? Your hunger for the truth? Now you just want to roll over? That isn’t like you at all!”

Haruka’s outburst drew the attention of nearby patrons. Heads turned in their direction and overpowered the ambient musics with their whispers. 

Michiru clicked her tongue. Whether it was directed at the curious onlookers or Haruka’s temper, she couldn’t guess. “I’m not giving up. I think we need a more pragmatic, and legal, approach. You cannot risk your brand and legacy with illegal activity. No matter what you say, I’ll always feel responsible. And I’ll feel even worse if you get caught. Besides...” Michiru’s cool touch relaxed on Haruka’s hand clenching her teacup. “You believe me. That’s the important thing.”

Haruka was not about to let Michiru’s gentle touch and flattering words deter her. “You want pragmatic? I’m hiring two extra security guards. At least one will accompany you at all times. College, your apartment, shopping, everywhere.”

“If I agree to this, do you promise to stop with the private investigator nonsense?” Michiru leveled her gaze at Haruka in a silent battle of wills. 

Haruka figured she had little choice but to agree. She had no desire to argue with Michiru about this all night. And if one of them was going to cave, it was going to be her. She had no disillusions about that. For better or for worse, Michiru always got what she wanted with Haruka. This was the first time Haruka did not willingly bend to her will. 

So, Haruka decided, she could agree to this arrangement. 

After all, there was a very obvious loophole Haruka planned to exploit. 

“Fine. I won’t pursue this madness any further.” Haruka adjusted her tie and smiled. 

She, personally, would stop prying. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t inquire with someone who was already using all of their resources to find out what was going on. 

If only Kaori would return her messages…

“Thank you.” With the argument closed and tension receded, Michiru returned to her meal. 

Haruka chewed on a slice of fatty tuna. The exquisite cut, featuring the perfect ratio of flesh and fat, melted in her mouth. Putting solid food in her stomach lightened her disposition considerably. The strain between them had lifted, but Haruka still felt like she should say something by way of an apology.

“I shouldn’t have raised my voice,” Haruka murmured while staring at her plate. “I’m not used to things being out of my control. And your safety, well… You know there’s nothing more important to me than you, right?”

“I know.” 

Haruka barely registered the words carried across the table. She dared a glance at the undine goddess sitting across from her. Michiru was placid and relaxed; all traces of annoyance or anger absent. 

Haruka realized she would never completely understand this mercurial, complex woman. Thankfully, she had never been the type to relent from a challenge. 

“Do you like your new dress?” 

“Yes. Though not as much as you do, I suspect,” Michiru replied. She ran her tongue down the tip of her chopsticks. Haruka tried ignoring her quickening heartbeat to no avail. It became even more difficult when she felt Michiru’s heeled toes exploring between her thighs from beneath the table. 

“The matching lingerie was a nice touch,” she cooed with her poker face expertly intact.

Haruka gulped. “Umm… what?”

Michiru arched an eyebrow. “The undergarments in the bag. I’m to believe you knew nothing about those?”

Genuinely perplexed, Haruka shook her head. She had a rather good guess as to how the undergarments got in the bag. “Andre.”

“Did I mention I like him?” Michiru ate another bite of fish. Haruka struggled to compose herself thanks to the toes rubbing her legs through her pant legs. “Would you like to see them?”

The infamous billionaire playboy stuttered like a teenager whose crush acknowledged their existence for the first time. Sick of hearing herself fumble over her words, she grabbed the nearest glass of water and chugged half of it. The ice-cold liquid brought a modicum of relief to her burning face. 

Haruka slammed her glass down harder than she intended. Michiru should have returned to eating. Instead, her focus was centered on Haruka’s face. She swallowed hard, watching every twist and turn as Michiru shifted in her seat. Whatever Michiru was doing, it looked uncomfortable.

“What are you—“

“Your hand,” Michiru prompted, the words pouring from her mouth like a soothing brook. 

Calm as her command was, Haruka knew the consequences would be dire if she did not play along. She extended her forearm across the table, palm facing the ceiling, as she had earlier when they were holding hands. 

Michiru revealed one of her hands, clenched into a fist. She lowered her closed fist into Haruka’s palm, letting the material hidden inside fall into Haruka’s hand. The unmistakable texture of lace rubbed against Haruka’s skin. Realization hit her like a brick wall. She hurriedly enveloped the small bit of lace inside her long fingers, afraid someone might notice. 

Their fingers brushed together. Electric desire coursed through Haruka’s blood. Her ears pounded. The knowing, seductive gaze being cast in her direction was torturous. She wanted Michiru now. 

Forgetting their surroundings, Haruka decided on the next best thing. With Michiru’s panties balled in her fist, she raised it to her face. Matching Michiru’s intense stare with her not-so-confident one, Haruka loosened her fist against her nose. 

With the scarlet panties brushing against the tip of her nose, Haruka helped herself to a generous intake of Michiru’s scent; a heady cocktail of sea salt and ocean breeze. 

“I like them very much,” Haruka answered as she tucked the underwear into an inside pocket, acting as nonchalant as possible. 

Michiru, however, looked ready to lunge across the table and have her way with her, audience be damned. 

“How was your dinner, sir?” The waitress’ perky voice made Haruka leap in her skin. 

Snapping out of her daze, Haruka looked up at the waitress. Her throat was suddenly clammy. She heard Michiru giggling across the table. 

“Everything was fabulous. We’ll take the check, please,” Michiru answered in Haruka’s stead. 

Haruka took a deep breath and collected herself. “You don’t want dessert?”

Michiru’s smolder told Haruka that if she had her way, she would pull her across the table by her tie and make love to her right now. The waitress shifted uncomfortably, no doubt sensing the sexual tension, thicker than a storm cloud, hovering between them. Haruka was about to burst. From what she could gather, so was Michiru. 

“The check, please,” Michiru repeated. 

Haruka knew she was in trouble. 

**♅**

Haruka’s attention moved to the toys, or rather, the devices, Michiru had pulled from the Skyloft. They were in Michiru’s scarcely-used bedroom. The curtains closed out the celestial bodies in the sky. The only source of light was a lamp on Michiru’s vanity, enhancing the atmosphere with a shroud of muted light. 

“You’re nervous. Why?” Michiru crooned as she sat before her vanity, removing all articles of jewelry except for the Pisces necklace. 

“Nervous? Me? Why would I be nervous?” Haruka dug her hands in her pockets. She stood behind Michiru’s seated form, watching her every moment reflected in the mirror. That is, every moment when she was not distracted by Michiru’s plans for the equipment on the bed. 

Sweat beaded on her brow. Nervous was an understatement. Haruka didn’t know why she let herself get like this; it was an involuntary reaction to Michiru’s overpowering, insatiable appetite. Haruka wanted nothing more than to give Michiru whatever she wanted in the bedroom. 

After all these weeks and all they’d shared, the former dominant was still worried she was not enough for Michiru. How could she be? The woman was a goddess on Earth; poised, immaculate perfection. 

And for some reason, she wanted Haruka… for none of the reasons Haruka had learned to expect from women through the years. 

Michiru rose from her station. Aside from the shawl she discarded at the coat rack, she was fully clothed. The ivory dress clung to every curve. The dim lighting could not conceal the shadows beneath her ample breasts and hips. Haruka knew she had to stop staring. Her shyness and limitless infatuation with Michiru was a weakness she loved to exploit. 

Michiru had all the power, and she knew it.

Two hands firmly pressed against Haruka’s upper chest. “These all belong to you. I assume you’ve used them.”

“Well, yeah, but not--”

“I understand,” Michiru cut her off. Haruka assumed Michiru didn’t want to hear the context in which these items had been used in the past. She had an uncanny way of concealing her jealousy, but Haruka wasn’t fooled. 

The pair of hands pulled Haruka’s suit top off and slid it down her arms. “This color… such a vibrant red. It suits you. Your hair, your eyes. You should wear it more often.”

“Tell Andre.” Haruka grinned. 

“Oh, I will…” Michiru’s petite hands gripped the tie. “You’re so stunning. I almost hate to take this suit off of you.”

“Me?” Haruka choked, and it wasn’t because of Michiru tightening her hold on the tie. “You’re the stunning one. I’m pretty sure everyone in the restaurant was staring at you. You’re… perfect.” Haruka took a deep breath as Michiru loosened her tie. “The embodiment of femininity. And I’m--”

“A twenty-one year old who owns the most successful, profitable company on the planet.” The tie came off. Michiru began unbuttoning Haruka’s crimson shirt. “Who every woman in America and Japan wants to be with.”

A sardonic laugh escaped Haruka’s lips. “Not anymore. Everyone knows I’m a woman now, remember?”

“Hmm…” Michiru pretended to ponder Haruka’s statement. Her fingers deftly worked down Haruka’s front until the pale skin of her flat belly was exposed. “Good. Less competition for me.”

“No one in the universe is even in the same league as you,” Haruka responded. 

“ _Ara_ , is that so?” Michiru playfully asked. 

Haruka groaned as she lost her shirt. She wished Michiru would speak in their native tongue more often. Whenever her tongue slipped into a Japanese word or expression it sounded so natural and enticing coming from her lips. 

“Y-Yes…” Haruka tilted her head into Michiru’s lips that were against her neck. Fluttering kisses were soon replaced by teeth, scraping against her skin, on a quest to find a suitable place to leave their mark. 

Meanwhile, Michiru’s hands made quick work of Haruka’s belt and suit pants. Cold air assaulted Haruka’s legs before her pants hit the floor. 

Michiru murmured something into her neck. Haruka squirmed against the warm tongue tracing circles around the crook of her neck. Her hands reached out, pulling Michiru closer against her nearly-naked body. The pain Haruka had been expecting finally blossomed from her neck, causing her to moan and lean further into Michiru’s soft form. 

“I’ve been needing to touch you from the moment I laid eyes on you in that suit.” Michiru accented her confession by slipping her fingers inside Haruka’s snug briefs. Cool fingertips pressed against her clit. The maddening energy they shared shot through Haruka’s sex and gripped her heart. Haruka felt her knees buckle. 

“My, my,” Michiru’s seductive cantor filled Haruka’s pounding ears. She realized she was being held upright by her partner. 

Annoyed with how suddenly she lost her composure, Haruka grunted and stood upright. “Sorry.”

Now on her knees, Michiru pulled Haruka’s underwear down at an agonizingly languid pace. Her breath against Haruka’s lower abdomen and thighs was maddening. Even more seductive was Michiru’s unfaltering gaze. Two cobalt eyes stared up at Haruka with such adoration and devotion, it made her chest ache. Haruka wondered if this was Michiru’s way of apologizing for their earlier fight at the restaurant. 

Michiru returned to her full height. She faced her back toward Haruka and lifted her mass of teal hair above her neck, revealing the top of the zipper holding her dress in place. She turned her head, casting Haruka a sideways glance. “Now, do you want to help me?”

Pain sprouted from Haruka’s forehead. She winced and grit her teeth. 

These headaches. Why did these headaches always interrupt her private moments with Michiru? 

“All right,” she found herself saying. She stepped closer to Michiru. 

Acute deja vu overwhelmed her. For a brief moment they were in a different room. Michiru was looking at her, wearing the same white dress, except there were matching gloves covering her hands. There was a mirror behind her. Looking up, Haruka could see herself in the wide, flat mirror… 

“That’s… that’s not me…” Haruka mumbled. The clearer the image became, the harder the invisible knife dug into her forehead. Her face, hair and eyes were identical. Her reflection wore a cut-off denim top over a white t-shirt. The clothing would have been laughable, if only her head didn’t hurt so much. Haruka had never, and would never, wear such an atrocious outfit. 

And yet, unbelievable as it was, the fleeting moment felt more tangible than the present. 

“Haruka?” Michiru spoke, snapping her back to reality. “Is something the matter?”

“No.” Haruka scrambled to collect herself before Michiru could rescind her offer. Pushing the thoughts away, she grounded herself in Michiru’s solid body before her. Haruka lowered the zipper, gently peeling the fabric away to reveal taut alabaster skin. Focusing on Michiru helped the headache. Refusing to let it distract her, Haruka absorbed her face in the nest of teal curls.

“I love your hair…” Haruka whispered as she inhaled Michiru’s scent. Her hands snuck inside the loosened dress and wrapped around Michiru’s waist.

“Just my hair?” The expected tease came as Michiru leaned back into her. Haruka savored the intimate moment; she had a feeling Michiru would not be letting her do much touching soon. 

“No.” Haruka felt Michiru’s skin dance as her raspy chuckle met the back of her neck. “Not just your hair.”

Haruka’s hands traveled north. She cupped Michiru’s breasts, kneading them through the coarse lace cup. “I love these too.”

It was Michiru’s turn to laugh. The cadence of her lilting giggle helped relax Haruka’s nerves. She dutifully withdrew her hands to unclasp Michiru’s bra. 

“No. That can stay on.” Michiru turned around. “You haven’t seen it yet, after all.”

“All right,” Haruka agreed. She took in an eyeful of her gorgeous lover, wearing only a ruby red bra. It supported her supple breasts, creating deeper cleavage than normal. Haruka’s throat clamped up. 

“That’s enough gawking.” Michiru closed the space between them. She pushed Haruka backwards enough to force her down onto the bed. Haruka bounced on the plush mattress. Before she could brace herself Michiru was straddling her, swaddling her with unbridled passion. 

Fingers tangled in Haruka’s sandy hair, keeping her head right where Michiru wanted it. Following her goddess’ lead, she returned the ardent kisses. Haruka’s hands rest on Michiru’s thighs. Fingertips dug into Michiru’s thighs, keeping Michiru firmly planted on her lap. Heat radiated from Michiru’s center onto Haruka’s thigh. Her scent, her warmth, her wet anticipation; together they formed the most potent aphrodisiac in the galaxy. 

Deciding the time for foreplay was over, Michiru pressed Haruka’s upper body down onto the bed. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll have mercy on you.”

Haruka somehow doubted that. “What do you mean?”

Michiru leaned across the bed to grab one of the restraining tools she brought down from the Skyloft. Holding it horizontally before her, she released the clasp. Metal sang as the beam extended in length. “I’ll only use one of these.”

Haruka cast a glance at the other spreader bar. “Okay…” 

“Keep your hands to yourself and I won’t restrain them.” That was Michiru’s only order before she went to work. Haruka clenched fistfuls of blanket, bracing herself as Michiru’s mouth had its way with her. Haruka writhed and groaned as Michiru’s teeth nibbled at her navel. She tried preparing herself for the inevitable, but it was hopeless. 

Michiru’s expert tongue sought out her clit. Haruka watched as her face disappeared between her legs, leaving only a head of undulating waves to look at. Haruka could not keep her eyes open long. Michiru wasted no time. She took Haruka into her mouth, sucking with every intent to make Haruka come hard and fast. 

Or so Haruka thought. 

Her hips rocked and her legs shuddered, but just before she found release Michiru pulled away with a lascivious grin. 

“It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it?”

“Michiru…” Haruka exhaled. Her senses were already dulled by the haze of need, and they had barely begun. 

“Hmm?” Michiru absently responded as she slithered herself down to Haruka’s feet. She could only watch, powerless, as each of her ankles was individually restrained in the black leather cuffs attached to each end of the spreader bar. Metal buckles held the cuffs intact. The stainless steel rod snapped in place, keeping Haruka’s legs spread uncomfortably wide. 

“Umm… Nothing.” Haruka made sure to keep her hands in place at her sides. She watched as Michiru grabbed the next toy. The seductress studied the object in the dim lighting. Haruka knew she was taking her time, letting the tension build. Haruka tried not to let her thoughts run wild. After all, that would be playing right into Michiru’s hand. 

“Of course you picked the blue one,” Haruka half-joked. 

“Blue is your favorite color,” Michiru stated instead of asking. Haruka had never specifically stated it was her favorite color. But it was her safe word, so it wasn’t as if it took any stretch of the imagination. 

Michiru bent over the side of the bed. One leg at a time, she slid a leather harness up over her legs. After adjusting the buckles to account for her wide hips, Michiru positioned the curved blue cock. Hands on her hips, she faced the bed, ready for Haruka’s inspection. 

“Does it suit me?”

The question was a sultry joke. Despite knowing this, Haruka took Michiru’s question with the utmost sincerity. Haruka’s earlier words rang in her head: Michiru was the embodiment of femininity. She oozed womanhood with every breath. To see her wearing an eight-inch artificial dick was preposterous, at first. 

But at the same time, it wasn’t. 

Because Michiru was confident and in control. She had always called the shots, whether Haruka realized it then or not. Michiru was, quite frankly, whatever she wanted to be. 

And tonight, she wanted to shatter the illusion of Haruka’s dominance once and for all. The flogging scene had been a vulnerable, cathartic experience for Haruka. Yes, it was more painful and a higher risk, therefore setting a higher bar of trust. But there was no penetration involved. 

Haruka couldn’t remember the last time she let a partner penetrate her with anything more than their fingers. 

Realizing she hadn’t yet answered, Haruka tore her eyes from the blue strap-on. “I, um, never thought I’d see you. Wearing… that.”

Michiru opened her mouth. To Haruka’s chagrin, she decided against speaking her mind. Instead, she grabbed the spreader bar with one hand. “Roll over.”

In one fluid motion, Michiru flipped the spreader bar, forcing Haruka to roll onto her belly. The awkward motion left Haruka with her face buried in the comforter. Before she could pull herself up, Haruka felt Michiru’s hands on both sides of her hips, pushing them into the air. 

“Thanks for the warning,” Haruka sarcastically grumbled. Propped on her knees and elbows, she assumed the position. 

“Remember what I said about behaving…” Michiru threatened. Haruka’s head bowed as she felt fingers sliding between her slick labia. “Ah, Ruka… You’re quite wet.”

“Not as wet as you.” Haruka grinned into the darkness. 

“Hold still.” Michiru’s trill turned compassionate. Haruka felt the smooth, cool tip of the cock massaging her entrance. The gesture was both soothing and erotic. 

“You’ve never… done this before… have you?” Haruka groaned through her question. 

“Have you?” Michiru retorted. 

“No, actually,” Haruka confessed. Even during her time as Kaori’s underage submissive, the older woman never fucked her with anything larger than her fingers. 

Michiru’s ministrations stopped. Haruka felt the cock and Michiru’s warmth pull away. Thinking she said something wrong, Haruka continued. “But I want you. To do this. It feels… right.”

“Oh Haruka,” Michiru sighed behind her. Her name cracked on Michiru’s lips, as if she were crying. Haruka wished she could see Michiru’s face. “Thank you for always trusting me.”

It seemed an odd thing to say, but since Michiru was emotional over this shared first experience, Haruka did not dwell on it. “This better feel as good as you make it sound.”

“Mm,” Michiru purred in reply. Haruka felt the tip, now coated with her juices, sliding into her. She pressed her hips back into it, feeling each inch as it filled her. Michiru’s soft hands caressed her bottom as she gave Haruka time to adjust to the foreign girth. 

Haruka felt every muscle in her canal throbbing against it. The unusual thickness took some adjusting, but it was not an unwelcome feeling. 

“Is that alright?” Michiru whispered. The concern and understanding in her voice was a complete shift from the demanding top persona she had recently been assuming in the bedroom. 

“I’m good.” Haruka nodded. She flexed her arms to keep in position, ready to move in sync with Michiru’s hips.

Their rhythm started with languorous strokes. Michiru’s hands reassuringly guided her hips. More than once during their slow start, Michiru paused to lean down and plant kisses along Haruka’s lower back. It only took a few strokes before Haruka could feel the tickling, pleasurable build inside of her. The cock’s curved tip stroked her insides in all the right places. 

After a few minutes, one of Michiru’s hands crept around the front to give more attention to Haruka’s neglected clit. The combined sensations sent Haruka reeling off the edge of sanity. She began moaning unintelligibly, subconsciously pounding her hips against Michiru’s harder. 

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Michiru crooned.

Haruka groaned into the mattress below her. The waves were building faster and harder. Michiru understood her wordless plea, and began driving the cock inside of her with the urgency she needed. 

The headache began again. Heat burst inside of her mind. Haruka cried out in pain, at first, until the blessed release of orgasm smothered the pain in flashes of white and gold. Haruka couldn’t believe the strength and frequency of the orgasms rippling through her. Gasping and panting, she clutched the blanket and silently screamed Michiru’s name at least a dozen times before she was too exhausted to even groan. 

Euphoric release cleaned her. Haruka forgot the awkward position of her legs and the sweat beading her brow. The recurring headache was gone again. Face buried in the bed, she soaked in ecstasy until Michiru rolled her over. 

Still dazed, Haruka looked up at the pristine woman watching over her. Haruka was slowly coming down from the clouds, ready to sink in the ocean below with Michiru. Dark, thoughtful eyes studied her with equal parts satisfaction and nostalgia. Haruka weakly raised a hand to Michiru’s cheek. 

In her post-orgasm haze, Haruka noticed worry lines around Michiru’s eyes that weren’t there before. While still seductive and teasing, there was a more focused, serious air about her. Michiru had aged overnight, Haruka decided, before a loving kiss brought her back to reality. 

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Michiru asked. 

Haruka was relieved to see her. No frills. No mask. Only Michiru’s raw beauty; her pillar and reason for breathing. 

“Now I see why you like it so much,” Haruka murmured with a crooked grin. 

“Mm… speaking of…” Michiru guided Haruka’s hand from her cheek down between her legs. The strap-on was already removed. Haruka’s eyes widened when she felt just how badly Michiru needed tending to. “I need you to take care of this.”

Her plea came out in a desperate groan. “Gladly.”

Michiru wasted no time. She sprung into action, preparing Haruka to cater to her needs. Haruka expected her legs to be freed, but she was met with no such luck. Instead, Michiru spent a minute unclasping the harness. After adjusting it to Haruka’s narrow hips and buckling it once more, Michiru crawled on top of Haruka. 

“I’ve been good… You aren’t taking these off?” Haruka tugged on her restraints. 

“No. Now make love to me before I explode.” 

Haruka dug her heels into the bed, propelling her hips up into Michiru. The water goddess was more than ready. The blue cock slid into her with ease. “Wow, Michiru… you’re--”

Haruka’s words vanished as Michiru’s mouth silenced her. Taking the hint, Haruka did as she was told. Lips and hips locked, Haruka made love to Michiru with more vigor and haste than she ever had before. No matter how fast or hard she drove the cock into Michiru, it wasn’t enough. No matter how many times Michiru cried out in ecstasy and came all over the shaft and Haruka’s thighs, Michiru wanted more. 

Haruka could run marathons without breaking a sweat. But she was sweating now, struggling to match the depths of Michiru’s lust. 

Between the rigid demands of the spreader bar and Michiru’s addictive ecstasy, Haruka was unsure how much more she could take before Michiru finally relented. Her sweet sounds tapered to exhausted, satiated sighs. Haruka stretched her legs as Michiru laid on top of her. Fast, heavy breaths beat against Haruka’s pulse. 

“You’re… amazing,” Haruka exhaled. One of her hands reached up to bury itself in Michiru’s tangled hair. 

Michiru remained quiet for another minute, recuperating. “The last time you said that… I was half naked in your office.” 

Haruka soaked in the memory. “Don’t worry, I’ll never forget that.” 

Michiru stiffened. Haruka helped her prop herself up on her elbows. She would never tire of gazing at Michiru’s radiance above her. “You’re amazing. And you’re trouble. And insatiable. Oh, and you’re pretty scary when you’re mad…” Haruka stared into the endless midnight skies hidden in Michiru’s eyes. “And I love it all.”

Haruka expected to be teased for her roundabout way of professing what she’d known since the day they met. 

Instead, Michiru could not have looked more serious. “I love you... More than you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The panties in the restaurant scene and the spreader bars are 50 Shades references. 
> 
> Also, you aren't the only one who has that reaction when you look at what you wore in the 90's, Haruka.


	25. The Perfect Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru and Haruka play a duet.

**♆**

The rasp in her light snoring was reminiscent of the constant wind storms ravaging Uranus’ surface. The Wind Warrior unknowingly carried the essence of her birthright within her. Michiru stared as the sleeping figure’s back expanded and deflated. Each rhythmic snore followed a precise pattern, creating the most soothing song she had heard in this lifetime. 

Haruka’s bare arm stretched across the top of the blanket, down the length of her torso. Michiru spent the twilight hours cradling Haruka in her arms, waiting for this moment. Their bodies never stopped touching. 

Still, it wasn’t nearly enough. 

Wanting to continue touching her lover without interruption, Michiru gave in to the small indulgence. Two fingers touched Haruka’s shoulder. It was solid and warm. They walked south, along the pronounced curve of her bicep. Their cold prints caused Haruka’s skin to prickle. The goosebumps were grains of sand, stretching indefinitely along Uranus’ desert plains. 

How many times had she snuck away from her lonely waterfalls to dance in the sands with her? How many times had they rolled down the hills together, racing and laughing? How many hundreds of grains of sand had they plucked from each other’s hair, for no other reason than to have an excuse to feel each other’s fingertips massaging their scalp?

How many more lifetimes was she fated to be alone with their memories? 

Michiru’s fingers found Haruka’s, spread across her thigh. With utmost care, she laced her fingers between them. The digits slightly twitched in response. From her vantage point against Haruka’s back, she detected a slight curve in Haruka’s cheek. The slumbering warrior must be submerged in a dream. Michiru knew she shouldn’t delay. 

With precarious gentleness, Michiru slipped her hand from Haruka’s. It disappeared beneath her pillow for a brief moment. The object she sought waited where she had hidden it. A surge of relief flooded her when her fingers found the syringe. Unveiling the vaccine to the moonlight, she studied the sparkling serum in the darkness of their bedroom. 

Not allowing herself the luxury of contemplation, Michiru uncapped the syringe and found the spot on Haruka’s upper arm she was prepared to stab. 

“Please don’t wake up,” Michiru whispered. Before admitting the true intent behind her words, she drove the needle into Haruka’s arm.

**♆**

_“I love you… More than you know.”_

_My admission catches her off guard. Even after the extreme intimacy we just shared, her cheeks turn crimson. Fingertips caress my cheek and she smiles. “I love you too. And, well, I think I’ve known that for a long time.”_

_A long time, indeed._

_Though as far as she knows, we met only two months ago. Two glorious, oblivious months. Yet now I have the burden of truth, and no matter how deep my dedication to the mission, I cannot help but feel I am betraying her by living this duplicitous lie._

_“How do you feel?” I try steering the conversation to more practical means, but Haruka is indomitable._

_“I feel like… Like you’re the only person in the entire universe that matters.”_

_I want to smile, but she has no idea what she is saying and who she is saying it to. The complete dedication in her stormy eyes could fool me, too, if I let it._

_“Are you sore?”_

_“No. Just sleepy… You wore me out,” she jokes through hooded eyelids. Enigmatic and adorable as her eyes are, I find I can no longer stare into them, lest my deceit be revealed. I’ve always been a master of treachery, yet when she looks at me I feel as though my soul is laid bare._

_I direct my sight on a tour of her exhausted human form. This, at least, is exactly as I recall. The taste of her sweat, the concave curves of her belly, the pale skin stretched over taut muscle; she is the Heavenly Warrior made flesh. My fingernails tickle her navel before stopping at the harness she has yet to remove._

_“Are you saying we aren’t going for another round?” I remember to lace my melancholy with the lascivious tone she has come to expect._

_She stutters, comical and unsure of how to answer. My Haruka. Always so eager to please me, and afraid to deny my urges when we are alone._

_“I was only teasing.” I feel the need to protect her from denying me. “It’s been a very long day. Although…”_

_“Although?” She nervously arches an eyebrow as my wandering hand anchors around the blue shaft._

_“I think you should wear one of these. On a more… regular basis.”_

_She sputters some more. “Um, what? Wait, you mean, to wear all day?”_

_These traces of the Haruka I remember, the blushing and the embarrassment over sexual acts despite owning more novelties than a sex shop, makes me yearn for her. I do it on purpose, because the gesture is a bittersweet reminder of my eternal lover hiding deep within her._

_“Surely you already own something of that nature? Appropriate for both daytime wear and playing?” I squeeze the head to drive my point home._

_Haruka groans as if she can feel it. “Yes. Anything for you.”_

_Anything._

_“Hey, Ruka?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Do you believe there’s a bunny on the moon?”_

**♆**

She slipped out of the warmth of Haruka’s bed. Covering her nudity in an obsidian chemise which did nothing to shield her from the early morning chill, she snuck out of the bedroom. Now that Haruka’s inoculation was complete and sleep was a distant concept, she found she was anxious to reacquaint herself with one of her oldest companions. 

Marine Cathedral’s oblong case waited on the piano bench. Michiru opened the navy curtains, flooding the room with silver moonlight. She had no desire to bathe in artificial lighting. The essence of the princess she had long forgotten was the only light she wanted gracing her body. 

Following the shadows of Haruka’s custom Steinway piano, crafted with mahogany and trimmed with gold, Michiru came upon the slumbering instruments. She sat on the wooden bench beside Marine Cathedral. Her fingertips touched the polished case, as reverently and lovingly as when they stroked Haruka’s bare arm. 

Eighteen long years of repressed longing flooded her at once. Marine Cathedral was as much a part of her as Haruka and her birthright as Neptune’s sole guardian. It was inconceivable to Michiru; losing sight of her purpose, her mission, and her passions once again. It was the way of things, Setsuna would say. The cycle of death and rebirth. And yet, understanding the practicality behind the laws of the universe could not erase Michiru’s pent up longing for the instrument she’d unintentionally abandoned. 

Swallowing her trepidation, she unfastened the locks. They snapped to attention, piercing the silence with more urgency than a scream. Michiru opened the case. The hinges creaked and yawned. 

Marine Cathedral was as stunning as she remembered. It truly was the most impressive violin in the universe. Lifting it, she inhaled its earthy scent. The violin was perfectly balanced. Crafted and polished with a finesse worthy of Neptune’s Princess. Without testing it, Michiru already knew it was tuned and ready to play, as if the years of neglect were but an exiguous blink. 

Michiru nestled it above her left collar bone. Marina Cathedral’s familiar weight settled into her, more intimate than a mother cradling a newborn to her breast. 

The apprehensions she harbored disappeared once she set bow to string. Michiru knew the song she must play; the song she wrote for Uranus. The woman who gifted her with this violin. Her entire reason for learning to play in the first place. Their song, The Perfect Storm, was another lifetime behind. 

Standing beside the piano, facing the window, Michiru began to play. 

She played for her deceased parents who unwittingly partook in restoring order to the balance of power in the solar system. She played for her twelve year old self who gave up on her dream of becoming a famous violinist. She played for the Inner Senshi, to show gratuity for protecting the princess during the years she could not. She played for her fellow Outer Senshi, letting them know she considered them family now more than ever. She played for Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, hoping her timeless tale of romance reached their ears as they battled tirelessly to protect the galaxy. 

But above all, she played for Uranus. Each and every note was for the Heavenly Warrior. She was the perfect soldier. The only partner she would ever need. No being in the universe could compare to her prowess in battle. Michiru’s song encapsulated the awe she felt the first time she witnessed Uranus’ raw power and skill. She’d made many careless mistakes that fight, distracted as she was. 

The new story she added to their compilation came to Michiru without delay. Her feelings of destitution, the oblivious life she led with Setsuna, the day she met Uranus’ current incarnation… the notes came to her effortlessly; stirring the deepest recesses of her slumbering soul. 

No love story in the universe could compare to theirs. Michiru made sure no composition in the universe could match The Perfect Storm. 

Transcended beyond the physical realm, to the place only Marine Cathedral and the music they made together could take her, Michiru lived in her song. Each note and calculated moment of silence reverberated through her. She teleported where the piece needed her to be. Queen Serenity’s Ball, the waterfalls of Triton castle, the fall of the Silver Millenium, their last rebirth on Earth… So entranced was she in the story she was writing, Michiru did not hear someone else enter the music room. 

It wasn’t until a piano accompaniment joined in song, when she realized she was no longer alone. The style, and the pianist’s ability to join her song with ease, meant it could only be one person. 

The one person meant to play alongside her. 

Michiru poured her melancholy into their anthem. Haruka couldn’t possibly understand how she felt. She had never lived it; this loneliness and confusion. This darkness of limitless solitude. The simultaneous yearning and dread. 

And yet, Haruka’s keys danced in tune to her strings, not missing a beat. She accompanied Marine Cathedral as only she could. A new era of their ballad unfolded between and throughout them, until Michiru could suffer her emotions no longer. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill. She abruptly dropped her bow. 

Michiru could not turn to gaze upon her. Not yet. She stared out the window, noticing dawn’s pink and orange film had replaced Serenity’s moonlight long ago. Michiru lowered Marine Cathedral and cradled it against her chest. Her heart constricted as she thought of looking at Haruka, who had no idea what the song was about or Marine Cathedral’s true origins. 

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted you,” Haruka nervously apologized. Michiru could picture her, sitting at the piano bench in her overpriced Calvin Klein men’s cotton pajamas, scratching the back of her neck. 

When Michiru neglected to answer, she continued, “the way you play. It’s… I’ve never heard anything like it before. I never would have guessed you haven’t touched a violin in six years. That song. I feel like I’ve heard it before. Who’s the composer?”

_We are. We’ve sought each other out, lifetime after lifetime, to write this story._

“Are you sure you’ve never heard it before?” Michiru skirted the question. 

“I don’t think so…” Haruka spoke less confidently. 

Brief pangs of guilt stirred Michiru’s chest. She had probably confused poor Haruka more, causing her to wonder how she could play an accompaniment to a song she had never heard before. 

“I’m only teasing. I wrote the song. Just now.”

The surreal moment, in which the two of them added additional bars to their ballad without so much as speaking a word, had passed. Michiru exhaled. After one final glance at the waning moon stubbornly lingering in the morning sky, she forced herself to look at Haruka. 

Haruka was staring down at her hands, which were hovering over the piano keys. Judging by her profile, she was both wincing and frowning. Michiru securely locked Marine Cathedral in its case and sat beside her lover. 

“Do you have a headache?” Michiru guessed. The stubborn headaches came without fail whenever she was on the brink of recalling important memories before awakening. 

Haruka nodded. Her wide shoulders slumped. “More often than not, it seems.”

“Please tell me when you do,” Michiru urged. She rest a hand on Haruka’s arm, over the puncture wound that had already healed. 

“You’re one to talk. Setsuna’s the one who told me about your headaches. You never said a word,” Haruka countered. Noticing Michiru’s moist eyes, Haruka changed the subject. “How do you feel? Playing again, after all this time.”

“I feel that I should cherish this life. With my music and you.”

Haruka’s tired eyes lit into a smile. Fighting to maintain her expertly crafted poker face, Michiru closed her eyes as Haruka leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I have to get ready for work.”

“You shouldn’t go to work the day after crashing your helicopter in the ocean,” Michiru advised as calmly as she could.

“Unfortunately, canceling traveling plans tends to be more work than following through with them,” Haruka half-joked. 

Knowing it would be too suspicious to try dissuading Haruka any further, Michiru leaned into Haruka’s firm upper body. Her shape and warmth matched the Uranus of old. “Take care of yourself.”

“I will. I feel fine. Are you going to the university?”

Continuing the college student facade was the last thing Michiru wanted to do. However, maintaining their alter egos as normal humans had always been a necessity. “Yes.”

“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want me to get your next phone? I don’t mind adding you to my plan.”

The earnest gesture of commitment was difficult to turn down. “No, Setsuna was insistent.” 

“She must be sick of buying you phones already. That’s two in like, a month.” Haruka was leaning forward. Michiru could feel her grey eyes seeking her out, trying to read her emotions. 

Michiru smoothed Haruka’s disheveled bangs away from her eyes. Neptune’s soldier smiled. The gesture did not reach her eyes, hard as she tried. “I’ll try keeping it away from asteroids.”

Haruka chuckled. “That reminds me. I’m going to start looking at files for the two guards I’m hiring for you. Want to go over them with me later?”

Michiru swallowed her frustration. Two more people who would be in danger simply by being in close proximity to her. Two more people to lie to. Two more people to protect. Unable to voice her true concerns, she only shook her head. “No, that’s fine. I trust your judgment.”

“I’ll go get ready.” Haruka shifted, but hesitated. “I’m glad I could be a part of your return to music.”

“You brought me back to life.” Michiru tried to stop herself, but the energy between them was too strong. Haruka’s incandescence embraced her. This woman might have no memories of their previous lifetimes together, but everything about her that Michiru loved was still the same. Haruka’s scent, her heat, her gestures, and the way her lips always hesitated as if she had to remind herself this was real; these features remained unchanged since the day they met. 

Haruka was her Achilles’ heel. Michiru was not foolish enough to deny that. Hours in her arms were only seconds. Haruka was her addiction, and she would do anything for a fix. 

Breathless, Haruka gently pried Michiru’s fingers from her hair. “If this is your plan to keep me home all day, it’s working.”

Their spontaneous intimacy lifted Michiru’s mood considerably. She had half a mind to pursue the thought. “I suppose I can wait until after you’re done work.”

“You know… I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt I got stung by a bee. Right here.” Haruka patted her bicep where Michiru had injected the serum. 

“Oh.” Michiru arched an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Strange.”

“Yeah. Anyway, shower time. Love you,” Haruka’s raspy voice whispered. With Michiru’s chin in her hand, Haruka placed a peck on her lips and left to shower. 

Left alone, Michiru stared down at the piano keys. Technically speaking, she knew how to play the piano. Learning to play had been part of the deal to coerce Haruka to play, once upon a time. She pressed her index finger against the middle C key, listening to the balanced note echo in the empty room. 

An electronic hum snapped Michiru from her thoughts. She looked up, noticing Haruka’s cell phone for the first time. The device was resting against the music rack. The monitor was awake, signifying recent activity. Michiru picked it up, reading the notification in disbelief. 

_Lulu Teruno: 1 Missed Call._

**♆**

“Your cell phone. Everyone’s numbers are already programmed.” Setsuna offered the device to Michiru. The phone was in a teal and sky blue two-toned case. 

Michiru took it, testing the weight and size in her hand. “I take it this is no ordinary phone.”

Setsuna nodded. “Ami and I designed it. These phones can withstand drastic changes in pressure and heat. You could bring it to the bottom of the ocean, or to Pluto. Even Mars’ flames cannot burn it.”

Michiru turned to Rei, who was leaning with her arms crossed against one of the tables in Setsuna’s laboratory. Sailor Mars pulled out her phone, displaying her similar model, except hers was protected inside of a red case. Noticing the unique emblem on the back of Rei’s phone, Michiru turned hers around. The back panel featured an imprint of Neptune’s trident. 

“Are wrist communicators a relic of the past, now?” Michiru asked. 

Rei only smirked an answer, deferring to Setsuna. The eldest Sailor Senshi reached into her pocket, revealing an electronic watch with a teal strap. 

Michiru studied the gadget. It mimicked the heart rate monitors and smart watches almost everyone wore. “That isn’t a Fitbit?”

“Our new communicators. Disguised as such. I’ve already synced yours with your new phone.”

Setsuna and Rei watched as Michiru fastened the communicator. She turned the display on with the press of a small button. From what Michiru could tell, it was a typical watch and heart rate monitor device. She swiped her finger through the menus, looking at her heart rate, step count, and calorie burn. 

“It’s voice activated. You can also use your index finger to unlock the true menu,” Rei said. 

Michiru followed the direction. A scrolling text message welcomed her. A map of the Milky Way, in small pixels, decorated the screen. On it were different flashing beads of color. Without having to ask, Michiru assumed they represented the different sailor scouts. 

“Very helpful,” Neptune mused. She browsed the other options, not entirely sure what she was looking at. 

“There is a tutorial you can view. Double tap the screen in this mode,” Setsuna offered. 

Michiru shook her head. “I can do it on my own time.”

“Very well. Did you learn anything about Haruka’s investigator.”

Michiru closed her eyes in thought. Everything she was about to share with Setsuna and Rei was disclosed to her in confidence. Despite knowing this was ultimately for the sake of Haruka’s safety and the ongoing war, Michiru could not shake the feelings of deceit that consumed her. “His name is Julian Wildes. She told me last night when she was cursing at her phone. Apparently she still owes him money for obtaining those photographs… but the transaction won’t process.”

The three of them shared glances, indicating they were all thinking the same thing. 

“Maybe the Dromedons got to him before us,” Rei gave voice to their shared thoughts. 

“Probably,” Setsuna agreed. “I’ll see if I can track this man down.”

“Now show me what you’ve learned about Lulu Teruno,” Michiru suggested to Pluto. 

Setsuna slightly bowed her emerald head. Directing their attention to the monitor, Setsuna powered it on. The three guardians stood at attention as an image of a slender, professionally dressed woman with bright green hair and matching eyes came onto the screen. The picture was taken from a distance and zoomed in, making the image slightly blurred. 

“Lulu Teruno. The woman we once knew as Tellu,” Setsuna began. With the click of a button, the monitor moved to a web browser. Setsuna pulled up a business page titled, “LT Realtors.”

“The Dromedon has assumed the life of a realtor,” Rei picked up for Setsuna. Her violet eyes narrowed as she studied the image. “On the surface, she is a standard, middle class American citizen. Setsuna and I did some digging, and it turns out her agency is affiliated with a brokerage company that has Kaori Kuromine listed as a member of the board of directors.”

“Then she is mostly likely in league with the Death Busters,” Michiru concluded. “Haruka’s long… acquaintance with Kaori means she has done business with just about everyone in the gang who serves functional or financial purposes.”

Rei and Setsuna shared a glance. Setsuna cleared her throat. “And you don’t have any inclinations as to why Haruka and Ms. Teruno would be in contact?”

Michiru crossed her arms. “Haruka had been trying to locate Kaori and Tomoe since they disappeared at the charity event. If this realty company is associated with the Death Busters, Haruka was probably looking for information. Then again, Haruka owns hundreds of properties and is always buying.”

“We’ll keep watch over Haruka when you’re in school. Make sure she doesn’t meet with her in private,” Rei reassured. 

Setsuna nodded. “The Dromedons are smart. They have waited for years, biding their time. They will not be reckless. If Tellu makes a move, it will be in private.”

“Haruka doesn’t typically do business in private settings. Unless,” Michiru paused, trying not to let her mind go wild with conjured situations, “she held a meeting in her office with the door closed.”

“Could we tap into the Tenoh Headquarters security feed? If the Dromedon entered, we’d know as soon as it happened and could be there if it tries anything,” Rei suggested. 

“Good idea. I’ll look into it.” Setsuna bent over the large keyboard and began typing. 

Michiru shook her head. “After all these years, I doubt Tellu will try killing Haruka. But… seeing as how the Dromedons did attack all of us on the beach, I guess I still don’t know what to expect.”

Rei crossed her arms over her chest in thought, while Setsuna pinched the bridge of her nose. The trio stood in silent contemplation for a few minutes. 

“There are too many variables we still do not understand,” Setsuna said at length. “We will just have to continue playing it safe.”

“In any case, the Dromedon still needs to die. If you catch it alone, don’t hesitate,” Rei warned. 

Michiru bristled at the unwarranted statement. “You must be mistaking me for one of your fellow Inners. I’ve never hesitated to strike down a foe.”

Ever the negotiator, Setsuna diffused the argument before it could begin. “Then it is agreed. If one of us manages to isolate it, we call for backup and strike.”

“You’ve said the Dromedons are body snatchers.” Michiru turned toward Setsuna. “But you weren’t very specific. Can they hop bodies? Or are they bound to the person until they die? What happens to the human they were controlling?”

Setsuna’s expression turned somber. “Follow me.”

Michiru turned an inquiring gaze to Rei, whose expression remained suspiciously blank. Setsuna led them to a stainless steel door locked with yet another sensor. After verifying her handprint, it clicked open. 

Setsuna ushered them into the frigid room. The air was discomforting and sterile. The unmistakable scent of death clung to the air. Michiru ignored the lab tables and medical instruments. Her eyes followed Setsuna’s flowing lab coat as she walked towards the wall. 

Except it wasn’t a wall at all. Rows of freezer lockers lined the far wall. Setsuna opened the one labeled “Specimen #2.” 

The drawer rolled out, revealing a black body bag. Michiru held her breath as Setsuna unzipped it, revealing the waxen body of a deceased middle-aged man.

“This was ‘Mimete,’” Setsuna began with her unwaveringly stoic expression. “Once Mars and I killed her, she morphed back to the original body. The Dromedon slug fled through the mouth. We then dispatched of it easily enough.”

Michiru’s eyes widened. “You kill the humans the Dromedons invade? The princess must not be happy about that.” 

“The princess doesn’t know,” Rei curtly interjected. “And it’s going to stay that way.”

Michiru cleared her throat. If any of the Inner Senshi had the stomach for this work, it was Mars, the soldier of war. Michiru remained firm in her hopes Haruka would remain as she was; hands clean and conscience untainted. 

“I searched the federal government’s missing persons database with his fingerprints. His name was Stephen Munson before he went missing eighteen years ago,” Setsuna explained. 

“Controlled by a Dromedon for eighteen years. How awful,” Michiru commented. “I wonder if it was Mimete the entire time, or if it assumed other identities as well.”

“We do not have the answer to that question yet, unfortunately.” Setsuna then opened and revealed the contents of the locker labeled “Specimen #1.”

“And this young woman was Victoria Sweet until she went missing a decade ago. Viluy, who was killed the day you were attacked at the pool. We didn’t realize the gravity of the situation until after we defeated her.” Setsuna stared at the cadaver, no doubt reliving her surprise upon learning the Dromedon had stolen an innocent human’s body before transforming into Viluy. 

“How did you know she was a Dromedon? And that you had to use the serum?” Michiru asked. 

“When she ran from us, I shot a flaming arrow at her. It charred her entire leg. It healed itself… The regenerated flesh was Dromedon flesh. Bulbous, oily…” Rei shuddered while telling the story. “That was when Setsuna had the idea of trying the serum that saved her life.”

“We have yet to find a way to spare the human,” Setsuna frowned. 

“We do what we must for the safety of the royal family and the galaxy,” Michiru said in her best attempt to assuage them of their guilt. Truthfully, Neptune was pleasantly surprised this duo had done whatever it took to defeat the Dromedons. Setsuna’s actions were to be expected, but Rei… Michiru could not help but wonder if the decades of war she spent sleeping had hardened Rei more than she assumed. 

“The Dromedon didn’t escape until after her death. So we can only assume they are bound to their host until it is deceased,” Setsuna answered. 

“If that is the case… Kaori and Tomoe are still at large.” Rage flickered in Michiru’s chest as she remembered what Kaori had done to Haruka.

“I hope they aren’t up to anything…” Rei dropped her train of thought when her cell phone chimed. Michiru watched her eyes move as they read the message. If she was not mistaken, the former shrine maiden was suppressing a grin. 

“Is she coming?” Setsuna asked. 

“Yes.” Rei did not look away from her cell phone as her thumbs texted a response. 

When Michiru cast Setsuna a sideways glance, the Keeper of Time elaborated. “Venus had asked for leave, to come for Rei’s birthday. We have not cemented plans yet. I will inform you of the details, should you and Haruka care to attend?”

Michiru checked the annals of her memory before recalling Rei’s birthday was in April. 

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Rei deflected, narrowing her eyes at Setsuna. 

“You were born on Earth and we are on Earth now. It only makes sense to celebrate your birthday,” Setsuna reasoned. Michiru detected the hidden mirth behind the statement. 

Despite her mood, Michiru cracked a smile. “I’m sure Haruka wouldn’t mind lending out the Skyloft for the evening, as our birthday gift to you. I imagine there are many things there Minako and yourself would enjoy using.”

“I don’t know what that is, but your tone tells me to say no.” Rei’s cheeks blazed before she turned away from them. 

Michiru giggled behind her hand. She was satisfied to learn she hadn’t lost her touch. 

Sailor Neptune hadn’t realized how much she missed bantering with the Inner Senshi. They were much older now, and surely had experienced the pleasures adulthood had to offer. But if Rei had shared such moments with her leader, she was not divulging tonight. 

“Well. Whatever your plans, I’m sure Haruka and I can pencil you in, Miko,” Michiru teased. 

“I’m returning to the apartment,” Rei dismissed herself. She tucked her cell phone into her back pocket and made her escape before Michiru could torment her any further. 

With Rei out of earshot, Setsuna slightly raised her eyebrow. “How did you know about Venus and Mars?”

“I guessed,” Michiru trilled with a shrug. “Thank you for the phone and the communicator.”

“I apologize it took this long getting them to you. Now you will be completely involved.”

“Haruka was suspicious when I brought home Marine Cathedral. Not letting her buy me a cell phone took extra explanation.”

“If anyone knows how to handle Haruka, it’s you.”

For the first time in all of her lifetimes, Michiru was beginning to doubt the validity of that statement. She sighed as she considered how she would hide all of this from her lover. 

Sensing her hesitation and dismay, Setsuna placed a hand on Michiru’s shoulder. “I regret that this burden has befallen you once again.”

Michiru stared at the body bag beside her. One hand clutched the Pisces necklace against her chest. How was it possible to be this conflicted over something completely out of her control? “I do not know my own heart anymore.”

“Michiru,” Setsuna began, guessing what her internal struggle was over. “Haruka will not be whole until she awakens and assumes her birthright as Sailor Uranus. Do not mistake shielding her from the truth as shielding her from herself.”

Michiru’s eyes and heart ignited in response. She clenched her necklace. The innocence in Haruka’s eyes, free of the bloodshed and the fate of the galaxy, was not something Michiru would easily relinquish. 

Yet, the Keeper of Time was not one to exaggerate or fabricate tales of such magnitude. No matter how hard Michiru fought the tides of fate, their threads had been weaved centuries ago. As was their destiny to find each other one lifetime after another, so was their destiny to claim their mantle as Sailor Scouts and defend the galaxy. 

Michiru matched Setsuna’s solemn burgundy gaze with a glacial look of her own. “You know I will do anything to protect Haruka.”

Setsuna slightly bowed her head. “I know.”

“What else do you know?” Michiru narrowed her eyes. 

Setsuna placed a hand on Michiru’s shoulder. “I know you, Michiru. I trust that when the time comes, you’ll know what to do.” 

**♆**

_“Do you believe there’s a bunny on the moon?”_

_Caught off guard by my seemingly random question, she chuckles. “It wouldn’t be the strangest thing I’ve heard in the last couple of months.”_

_My hand traces around her jutting hip bone, languidly debating unclasping the harness. “You didn’t answer my question.”_

_“Well…” She stares at the glowing object in question with sincerity and longing. “Whenever I look at it, I feel secure. And safe. But at the same time I get this overwhelming protective feeling, too. Like it’s my duty to keep it safe. Sounds weird, I know.”_

_It sounds like Uranus. “Why would that be weird? We feel protective over all sorts of things, including the beauty of nature.”_

_It’s the only lie I can conceive of at the moment. I am simultaneously entranced by her beauty and dismayed at her struggle._

_Haruka strokes my hair while shaking her head. “It’s different than that, I think. Before I dreamt of you, I had dreams I was on the moon. People lived there. It was like a utopia or something. I don’t remember much about those dreams. There were animals too, I think. I’m sure there were bunnies, thanks to that legend we all heard.”_

_“Bunnies? Or one bunny?”_

_She pauses in thought before her eyes squint. I can feel the headache stabbing at the back of her eyes._

_“One bunny. With hair so light it’s almost white. Who eats a lot of mochi.” She laughs at the apparent absurdity of her dreams._

_The princess’ light reflects the wonder in Haruka’s eyes; a beacon of benediction in these trying times. If she was here, I know she would tell me not to lose hope. Everything will fall into place, if I don’t give up faith. It isn’t a methodology I’ve placed much esteem in._

_Gazing into Haruka’s eyes, I begin to understand how my fellow guardians have kept up the fight all these years. For their sake, and Haruka’s, I must persevere in this timeless struggle of mine._

_“Oh.” She laughs as a disguised memory returns to her. “There were talking cats, too!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This darkness of limitless solitude" is a line from their Crystal duet Eternal Eternity. Thanks for reading!


	26. Vanilla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another mask comes into play.

**♅**

_Floating. Weightless. The haze between dreams and reality has never been this euphoric. I’ve found a state of mind I hadn’t known existed until last night._

_I have her to thank._

_My eyes flutter, gazing across the empty half of the bed. I’m unsurprised, and slightly amused, to discover she tightly folded and creased the ivory bed sheets on her vacant half of the bed. I look down my side of the bed; it’s a disheveled mess. My bare legs are tangled in the sheets, tingling with the memory of her lips exploring them._

_I stretch the soreness from my muscles. It amazes me how a night with her revealed a plethora of muscles I somehow rarely use while fighting or running. My muscle fatigue is another reminder of our surreal lovemaking. My chest flutters at the thought._

_There are a hundred things I would rather do than get dressed, dally with sycophants, and return to my station._

_And they all include her._

_However, she is gone, and so I reluctantly drag myself from the comfort of our memories._

_The lone table, made of polished ebony moon rock, is where half of my clothing from the previous night is strewn. I lean over to fetch my clothes. Something glistens beside a handwritten note._

_“Something to remember me by.”_

_The note isn’t signed. Then again, there’s no need._

_I hold up the token of affection she’s gifted to me into the light shining through the window curtains. It is a round pin, similar in size to the coins we use for currency on Uranus. Decorating its obsidian surface is a symbol I recognize without delay._

_Neptune. The symbol of her birthright; the master of the deep seas._

_I tap the trident with my index finger. It glistens with blue gems I have no name for. Neptunian geology is a topic I have little to no knowledge of._

_My heart soars at her thoughtful gift. I fasten the pin to my suit, resting it against my heart. The cold tendrils of her touch spread through my bloodstream. The pendant intensifies my yearning, and I begin wondering how I will survive until our next meeting._

_I exit the room and startle when a short blonde woman impedes my path. Her hair is strands of gold, flowing down both sides of her face and shrouding most of her yellow dress. I don’t recognize this smiling woman with bright blue eyes._

_“Have fun?” she prods in a singsong voice._

_Oh… her. Venus. I didn’t recognize her without the mask._

_“Why do you care?” My retort doesn’t have as much bite as I’d like, thanks to this weird euphoric disposition I find myself in._

_“Oh, you did have fun!” She hops in front of me, blocking my path. “You don’t have to answer. I already knew, anyway.”_

_“How would you know that?”_

_“I had the great pleasure of reserving a room beside yours. The walls are sturdy, but not exactly soundproof.” She winks with a knowing smile._

_Heat creeps up my face. A night of passion with Neptune and I’m suddenly embarrassed about the topic._

_“Do you have a point?” I bristle._

_Unaffected by my annoyance, she shrugs. “Not really. I just love love, you know? Especially young love. And I’m so happy Neptune finally caught you. You outliers are such loners, I knew she was desperate when she went to the trouble of reaching out to me for advice.”_

_It dawns on me that I should stop being so difficult with her. Love is her domain, after all. And if Neptune trusted her enough to confide in her, maybe I should._

_But only a little._

_“I didn’t mean to cause her so much grief.”_

_She laughs and waves off my remark. “Don’t worry. I assured her Uranians don’t take flirting seriously. You all flirt with no romantic intentions. I told her she needed to be straightforward if she had any hopes of learning your feelings.”_

_“Oh. She was straightforward all right.” I scratch the back of my neck. Neptune’s seductive purr and the propositions she made… My cheeks are burning at the memories._

_“Aww! She even left you a gift! How cute!” Venus pokes the pendant pinned to my chest. “You know what that means, right?”_

_By the gods, why does everything have to mean something?_

_“She likes me?”_

_Venus chortles and hugs me as if we’re old friends. “I’ll let her explain that to you. Oh, Queen Serenity will be so ecstatic!”_

_The hug doesn’t bother me as much as I anticipate. The embodiment of love’s embrace sends tingling comfort through my body._

_Still, the thought of smelling like a woman other than Neptune disturbs me._

_“Wait. Why would the queen care?”_

_Her hands go to her hips and she scoffs. “Do you even know why Queen Serenity hosted this ball tonight? Of course you don’t! Because I talked her into it.”_

_“Why did you—?”_

_She presses her finger into my pendant again, this time with enough force to push me back. “Because I pride myself on being the best matchmaker in the galaxy, that’s why!”_

**♅**

Haruka opened her eyes, staring into the darkness of early morning. She felt Michiru’s absence before her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. This had become a habit of hers since the helicopter crash; leaving bed in the middle of the night. 

Haruka rolled over to check the time. Two AM. 

While rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she threw her legs over the side of the bed. Remembering she wasn’t wearing anything besides a pair of blue boxer briefs, she threw on the white tank top Michiru had discarded over the side of the bed. After ensuring she was fully clothed, Haruka ventured out to the typical places Michiru inhabited in the middle of the night. 

First she peeked into Michiru’s bedroom to see if she was painting. Finding it empty, Haruka checked the music room. Given the silence, she was unsurprised to discover its only inhabitants were her piano and Marine Cathedral. 

“Weird,” she hoarsely whispered. “Maybe she just went to the bathroom.”

If Michiru was using the bathroom, Haruka certainly wasn’t going to bother her. She decided to make a stop to the kitchen for some water before returning to bed. As she crossed the threshold into the kitchen, a peculiar scraping sound caught her ears. 

Haruka leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. Sitting on the kitchen counter, grazing a spoon against the bottom of an ice cream pint, was Michiru. 

The unexpected scene amused her at first. After all, there wasn’t anything quite as cute as watching her girlfriend pensively licking ice cream from a spoon when she thought no one was watching. 

But the more Haruka thought about it, the more she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. Michiru wasn’t the type to indulge in sweets. Especially in the middle of the night. Nor was she the type to stress or emotionally eat. 

“All the unused furniture in this house, and you sit on the counter to eat your midnight snack?” Haruka tested the waters. 

“Imagine my astonishment when I search the freezer of the most successful CEO on Earth in search of something to help lull me back to sleep… to find only vanilla flavored ice cream.”

“What’s so strange about that?” Haruka asked while making her way into the kitchen.

“Vanilla doesn’t suit you.” 

Haruka pushed aside the stool Michiru had propped her feet on, replacing it with her body. Not missing a beat, Michiru wrapped her legs around Haruka’s waist. Haruka nestled herself close to her lover’s body, barely leaving enough space for the ice cream carton between them. 

“What?” Haruka tilted her head. The suggestive tone in Michiru’s voice told her there was a joke in there somewhere, but she didn’t understand what Michiru could be implying. “How does vanilla not suit me? It’s just a flavor.”

Michiru crooned a few unintelligible words into the flat end of her spoon before licking it again. Haruka thought she heard the word “dork” in there somewhere, but decided to change the subject. “I notice you haven’t been sleeping well lately. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Hmm.” Michiru pondered as she dug her spoon back into the carton. Haruka placed her hands on Michiru’s hips. Focusing on anything but the heat and electricity shooting through her was growing more difficult the longer Michiru’s thighs remained clamped around her. “I’ve already talked it through with this pint of ice cream.”

Haruka was unable to return the lighthearted tone. She was concerned, to say the least. She had half a mind to suggest Michiru start seeing a therapist to begin properly dealing with the lingering trauma that was clearly affecting her. But Haruka was too exhausted to press the issue, and she knew Michiru would be too proud to agree to it, anyway. 

Content to watch Michiru make a show of licking the melting dessert from her spoon a few more times, Haruka hesitated before suggesting the most prudent course of action. “You should try getting some sleep. Prescott and Turner will be here first thing in the morning. Then we have that birthday thing for Rei you said we have to go to after I’m done work.” 

“I did say that, didn’t I?” Michiru hummed as she revealed a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. The dessert was already beginning to melt, indicating she had been eating alone with her thoughts for some time. “Here.”

Eating ice cream was the last thing on Haruka’s mind. Michiru brought the spoon to her mouth, and, as with everything else, Haruka found herself incapable of saying no. Her lips parted in anticipation, but the decadent mouthful never came. 

“Oops,” Michiru purred as the spoon carved an icy path down Haruka’s cheek. 

“Michiru,” Haruka growled in kind. When the frigid utensil found her collarbone and shot chills up her spine, she grabbed her wrist. “You shouldn’t waste food.” 

Michiru tilted her head in mock contemplation. “You’re right.” 

Haruka’s breath hitched when the moist heat of Michiru’s tongue tickled her collarbone. Hands gripping Michiru’s hips and groan catching in her throat, she braced herself as Michiru’s mouth cleaned the mess. The eager tongue lapped up every trace of the sticky substance, all the way to the corner of her lips. 

“And you’re trouble,” Haruka countered before Michiru found a more appropriate task for her lips. Michiru’s mouth was cold from her midnight snack. The sharp contrast in temperature caused the short hairs on the back of her neck to stand on edge. 

Haruka leaned into her lover’s form. Michiru’s position, propped up on the counter, gave her the rare advantage of height. Craning her head to reach Michiru’s mouth and feeling Michiru’s breasts sinking down into hers were entirely new sensations for the taller woman. 

When Haruka’s hands left the comfort of Michiru’s hips to fondle her breasts, Michiru pulled away. “You said not to waste it.” 

Haruka tried blinking away the erotic spell Michiru had effortlessly cast on her. Her hand reached for the ice cream sitting on the counter, but Michiru snatched it away. “It’s also mine.”

Haruka watched as a full spoonful of ice cream disappeared between Michiru’s rosy lips. She made a point to show Michiru an embellished pout. “But I want some.”

Pink lips remained tightly sealed as Michiru pulled the spoon away. Mischievous glint in her cerulean eyes, she leaned down and embraced Haruka into a kiss once more. The cold lips easily coaxed Haruka’s open this time, rewarding her with a creamy mouthful of vanilla. A moan of surprise escaped Haruka’s throat before she swallowed her treat. 

“Why did you have to put a shirt on?” Michiru drawled while dragging the icy utensil between the slight crack of cleavage exposed by Haruka’s top. “I prefer you topless, you know.”

Haruka gasped and tried ignoring her hardening nipples. Her cognitive reasoning skills had already turned to mush. Unable to focus on anything beside the heat of her body rising to meet the erotic assault against it, she could only shake her head. 

“No matter,” Michiru crooned. Haruka raised her arms as Michiru slid the shirt up and over her head. The cool night air was no match for the sweet torture Michiru brought upon her breasts. A fresh spoonful of melting ice cream landed below her collarbone, sliding down the swell of her left breast. Before it could spill over the cusp of her breast, Michiru consumed the ice cream and Haruka’s nipple in one mouthful. She made a point to playfully swirl her tongue around the pert nipple until Haruka was melting like the ice cream. 

“Mm.” Michiru sat upright. Her eyes devoured Haruka’s naked upper body while she licked her lips. “Messy.” 

“Not as messy as you.” Haruka’s raspy response earned an arched eyebrow from Michiru. 

Without so much as a coy smirk, Michiru leapt from her perch. She landed beside Haruka and pushed her down into the stool. Spoon in one hand and ice cream carton in the other, Michiru studied Haruka’s prone body as if developing a battle plan. 

Haruka’s pulse quickened. She couldn’t get enough of that look; the curve of Michiru’s lips and the unquenchable thirst in her eyes that told Haruka she was all Michiru could ever want. It was an expression that mirrored carnal lust and eternal dedication all at once. 

It was an expression that also told Haruka she would be lucky to survive this session. 

Michiru’s smoldering gaze turned south as her spoon swirled around the bottom of the carton. “I can’t get enough of these.” 

Haruka tensed as Michiru’s tool dripped melted ice cream onto her midriff. The sticky substance poured down the ridges of her abdomen. Just before the mess reached the waistband of her briefs, Michiru’s mouth was there to catch it. 

The sensations, the spontaneity, and above all, the sight of this perfect goddess bent over and licking her body, were all too much. Haruka leaned back against the counter and tried smothering the blossoming heat between her legs. 

“They won’t be there for long if—“ Haruka hissed as Michiru’s tongue followed her slanted muscles to the hem of her briefs, “—if I don’t keep using my gym.”

Fingernails scraped along the ripples of Haruka’s muscles. “What’s stopping you?” 

Michiru’s question was a challenge; daring Haruka to blame their late night and early morning love making. Knowing better than to answer, Haruka shook her head. “N-nothing.”

Michiru cast a short glare at her before she readjusted herself. Dazed, Haruka watched as her lover got down to one knee and stared at the exposed flesh of her right thigh. 

“You are a bad liar,” Michiru warned before sinking her teeth into the sensitive skin. 

“Ah!” Haruka’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the counter to keep herself upright. 

Once again, cold metal and liquid dessert caressed her skin. This time, Michiru was painting her inner thigh like a canvas. Haruka closed her eyes, concentrating on the design traced on her skin. Vanilla tracks smeared against her trembling thighs. 

It wasn’t until the tip of Michiru’s delectable tongue followed it, when Haruka realized what she was drawing. Between her moans of pleasure she smiled, remembering with vivid clarity the night she gave Michiru the Pisces constellation necklace. 

“All gone,” Michiru sighed. Haruka snapped back to reality when the empty carton landed with a thud on the counter beside her. “And I didn’t waste a drop.”

Haruka’s throat went dry. She stiffened with absurd intimidation while at the receiving end of Michiru erotic determination. She made the mistake of glancing at the spoon Michiru was still wielding. 

Rosy pink lips slightly curved into a mischievous smile. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t continue playing with this.”

“Michiru…” Haruka warily began. Her mind raced as she tried imagining what exactly her clever lover had in mind. 

“Relax.” MIchiru’s free hand cupped Haruka’s cheek. The soft, cool touch of her palm was the exact comfort Haruka craved. All of the explosive, surreal orgasms Michiru could ever give her could never match the intimacy of this gentle touch and her loving gaze. Michiru’s eyes held a wisdom beyond her years, and a level of adoration Haruka hadn’t thought possible after only a few months together. 

“I’m relaxed.” Haruka tried acting casual, even as cold metal breached her waistband. The tip of the spoon slid through her dark blonde curls. The small bowl pressed firm against her swollen clit. 

“I don’t think you are…” Michiru trilled. She discarded the spoon with a well-aimed toss into the sink. Without missing a beat, she filled Haruka’s shorts with her empty hand. “I can fix that.”

“You don’t have to—“ The last remnants of reason and prudence Haruka had vanished in the wake of Michiru’s hunger. All thoughts regarding the sleep they should be getting or her concern over Michiru’s recent insomnia were forgotten when two fingers entered her eager sex. 

Michiru’s hand moved from Haruka’s cheek down her arm, to cover one of her hands on the edge of the counter. Her mouth, not high enough to reach Haruka’s neck, resolved to mercilessly teasing one of her nipples instead. Traces of vanilla ice cream dissolved against Michiru’s relentless tongue. 

Haruka was trapped in a cage of ecstasy. Michiru in front of her, and the precarious barstool beneath her angled body, made it nearly impossible to escape. Her hips needed to move; to dance along with Michiru’s seductive song. 

The tempo increased sooner than Haruka expected. Anxious and ravenous as Michiru was, she proceeded as if she suddenly lost all patience for the lascivious game she started. 

Haruka was not about to complain. 

Waves of ecstasy churned and unrolled like a tsunami; unstoppable and with unfathomable power. Haruka’s legs, which could carry her for miles without fatigue, trembled when pitted against the depths of Michiru’s desire. 

Haruka slumped onto her elbows, knocking them against the counter as hard as the orgasm hitting her. Sea salt and vanilla filled her mouth when she accidentally bit her tongue. 

Haruka groaned, too engrossed in the white ripples flowing through her to care about her self-inflicted injury. 

Ever observant and diligent, Michiru noticed and helped Haruka settle onto the stool. Dazed and satisfied, Haruka couldn’t stop from stupidly grinning as Michiru adjusted the waist of her briefs. Michiru cradled Haruka’s head, settling it between her breasts and stroking Haruka’s disheveled hair. 

The pair relaxed in this position for a few quiet minutes before Michiru spoke. “How was your midnight snack?”

“Very good,” Haruka contentedly whispered. 

Michiru pulled Haruka’s face from her breasts. Rubbing her thumbs against Haruka’s cheeks, she stared into Haruka’s hooded eyes with a lusty, somehow nostalgic expression. 

“Good. Because I’m ready to go back to bed.”

Michiru’s voice dropped an octave. The heady tone fueled Haruka’s second wind. The runner swept Michiru from her feet and began carrying her to the bedroom. 

“Keeping up with you is plenty of exercise.”

**♅**

Sweat formed along Haruka’s brow as she watched Michiru’s stony face silently judging the two people standing in front of her. A man and a woman, both wearing matching black suits, polished shoes, and serious frowns, returned her stare. Their expressions were pure business, as if they didn’t notice Michiru’s distaste with their presence. 

Haruka knew. She was a quick study in all things Michiru. Her astute observations of Michiru’s subtle glare, combined with their heated discussion in the restaurant about hiring these two, told Haruka her lover would not be happy about this arrangement. She would comply, as per their compromise, but she most likely wouldn’t make their lives easy. 

“Go ahead and introduce yourselves,” Haruka nervously initiated when the tense silence in the room became more than she could bare. 

“Prescott, ma’am,” the woman, only a hair taller than Michiru, stiffly introduced herself. Her raven hair was restrained in a tight bun. Prescott’s skin was the color of milk chocolate, and her doe eyes were hidden beneath a pair of shades. 

“Turner.” Prescott’s partner spoke with a deep baritone. He was paler than Michiru. His head was shaved bald, but his eyebrows indicated he was a brunette. 

Haruka knew every detail in their professional profiles. She took Michiru’s safety seriously, and hired two veterans with unblemished records and unmatched marksmanship skills. Haruka invited Michiru to review their personal history folders with her multiple times, but the artist consistently refused. 

“Prescott? Turner? That’s it?” Michiru tone did not affect either of them in the slightest. 

“We prefer to keep it simple, Ms. Kaiou.” Prescott’s explanation for not indulging their first names was vague by design, Haruka assumed. The two found their jobs much easier to perform without letting things get personal. 

“Good. Then let’s go before you make me late,” Michiru quipped and grabbed her coat from the rack. 

Haruka cast the guards an apologetic glance before sliding into position behind Michiru and helping her into her pastel blue peacoat. Michiru slipped her arms into the sleeves and began tending to the buttons. Two arms coaxed Michiru into their embrace, gently pulling Michiru into her body. 

“Michiru…” Haruka leaned down and whispered into her ear. “This is what we agreed to. Please don’t give them a hard time.”

Michiru giggled and turned around in Haruka’s arms. Much to Haruka’s surprise, she seemed amused. “You’re right. They’ve done nothing wrong. It’s you who I should be giving a hard time.”

“What? No, I--”

Michiru pressed an index finger against her lips. “Have a good day at the office… Mr. Tenoh.”

Caught off guard once again by Michiru’s mercurial tempest of emotions, Haruka watched as she sashayed out of the door with Turner in front of her and Prescott behind.

“Guess I’d better shower,” Haruka mumbled to herself when she was left alone in the entryway. Sticky trails of smeared ice cream still decorated her front. Haruka could feel her shirt sticking to her skin as she made her way through the house and into her private bathroom. 

The tycoon set about her morning routine. The automated lights clicked to life when she stepped into the bathroom. Haruka grabbed herself a fluffy navy blue towel and hung it on the rack beside Michiru’s, still damp from her earlier shower. The simple example of a familiar, domestic life spread her lips into a smile. 

However, when Haruka bent over to peel her briefs off, something gave her pause. The smooth, unremarkable skin of her inner thigh was wrong. All wrong. 

The sharp pain of Michiru’s love bite blossomed in her memory. There was no physical evidence, but Haruka remembered. Her fingertips pressed into the very spot Michiru’s teeth had claimed as her own. 

There should be a bruise. Why wasn’t there a bruise? 

Haruka reflected on the series of recent accidents and injuries that should have resulted in at least some sort of marks or scars. The bloody scratches she carved into her own face. The lashes Michiru decorated across her back. The helicopter crash when she blacked out. 

And Michiru… The lethal gash on the back of her head that healed within hours. Her remarkable rebounds from the brink of death. Haruka thought Michiru and Setsuna were these strange anomalies and there must be some secret to their supernatural healing abilities. 

She somehow never realized she was cut from the same cloth. 

Determined to witness this supposed healing ability for herself, Haruka opened the medicine cabinet and unwrapped a new razor blade. She stared at the small, sharp blade before deciding where to place her self-inflicted wound. 

Haruka held her hand over the sink. Pressing the length of the blade against the crease in her palm, she took a deep breath. 

She was losing her mind. She had to be going crazy. No one could heal from a bleeding, gaping cut within seconds. 

No, that wasn’t true. Michiru could. Setsuna could. 

And somehow, she knew she could too. 

Without giving herself time to change her mind, Haruka sliced the palm of her hand open in one fluid motion. 

“Shit!” Haruka dropped the blade onto the floor. Blood poured from the wound, clogging the drain. She turned the water on, watching as it mingled with her crimson lifeblood and swirled down the drain. 

Haruka winced as she stuck her sliced hand into the stream of running water. Stinging pain radiated from the fresh wound, making her eyes water. With the blood washed away, she could see the severed sections of her flesh. Her vision blurred as she focused on her injured hand, mentally willing the cut to heal itself. 

The excruciating sensation migrated from her hand to her forehead. Haruka leaned against the lip of the sink on her elbows to brace herself against the sudden headache. 

“Not now,” Haruka groaned at the perspective of a migraine arriving in time to disrupt her quest for answers. “Not now!”

Her vision swam as the migraine sent pulses of light through her eyeballs. Haruka pulled her injured palm out of the stream and held it up. She stared at the clean cut. Blood should have begun pooling into the wound, but it remained dry. 

“What the…?” The wound turned numb. An itching, burning sensation sprouted from her forehead. Haruka fought back the tears and pain, struggling with every ounce of stubborn determination within her. 

“I have to… damn it!” Haruka’s injured hand flew to her forehead, clamping down against a mysterious light blossoming from it. 

Spears of golden light shot from her forehead and between her fingers, bathing the room in blinding light. 

Haruka’s stomach churned. Her skull was splitting in half. She was delirious and dying and alone. 

She needed Michiru. Only Michiru would understand. 

The light. It was coming from her forehead. The exact spot where the pain always resonated from. Whenever she came too close to tearing away this reality’s thin veneer, something kept holding her back. 

Groaning with effort, Haruka clenched both sides of the mirror and pulled herself up. 

Even if the light burned her eye sockets dry, she had to know. 

Haruka stared at the symbol emblazoned on her forehead. 

“Uranus…” 

There was a golden flash followed by impenetrable darkness.

**♅**

“Miko likes Thai food, huh?” Haruka asked while lowering her sunglasses to get a better view of the Thai restaurant Joshua dropped them off in front of. 

Michiru’s hand slid into hers with ease while leading Haruka to the entrance. Prescott followed behind the couple at a respectable distance. The security guard’s scarcity did not fool Michiru, who cast a quick scowl at her. “Don’t you?”

Haruka shrugged. “Never really had it. Isn’t it like Chinese food?”

Michiru playfully rolled her eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough. Setsuna made reservations at the most popular Thai restaurant in the city. Now…” Michiru paused and turned towards Haruka. Her petite fingers tightened the knot of Haruka’s grey tie. “No flirting with the birthday girl in front of her guest.”

“Me? Flirt?” Haruka’s chuckle abruptly stopped when Michiru yanked on her tie. 

“Yes, you,” she purred. A brief kiss on Haruka’s lips left the billionaire dizzy and reignited the pain in her head. “Now let’s go eat.”

In a daze from both Michiru’s public display of affection and the lingering headache after the episode in the bathroom that morning, Haruka ambled along behind Michiru. She stole a quick glance down at her hand. The unblemished palm greeting her filled Haruka with grim satisfaction. Fighting the urge to continue staring, she buried the hand in her pocket and walked alongside her date. 

They crossed the entrance into the busy restaurant. Various aromas filled Haruka’s nostrils. The spices smelled delectable. Haruka hadn’t consumed anything besides water after the vanilla ice cream she shared with Michiru in the middle of the night. The surreal events in the bathroom left her stomach unsettled the entire day. Haruka thought she had recovered, but the pungent scents sent her stomach reeling again. 

“I see Setsuna.” Michiru pointed ahead at the tall woman’s bun poking out above the crowd. Haruka narrowed her eyes. 

She couldn’t see much of anything. Haruka felt her forehead, double-checking to ensure she had remembered to remove her sunglasses. 

“Headache still bothering you?” Michiru reached a hand up to feel her forehead. 

Haruka closed her eyes and sighed. Cool, curing energy spread from Michiru’s palm through her mind. “Yeah. I’ll manage.”

Haruka had yet to divulge the details of her eventful morning to Michiru. They hadn’t shared a moment alone since Haruka came home from the office, and the thought of attempting to text or write with the pulsating pain in her head was out of the question. 

“If you don’t feel well, we can go home.”

“And spoil Miko’s birthday?” Haruka forced a crooked grin. “Don’t worry about it.”

Michiru frowned. Clearly unconvinced, but unwilling to argue, she led Haruka to their destination. Heads turned as the popular CEO who recently made headlines by crashing a helicopter into the ocean walked by their tables. Too wrapped inside of her throbbing head, Haruka barely heard the greetings and inquiries the fellow patrons cast in her direction; never mind Michiru’s curt, dismissive retorts. Her focus was on their destination; a rectangular table where Setsuna, Rei, and a third young woman sat. 

“She…” Haruka’s eyes twitched as she studied the glowing woman sitting beside Rei at the table. Her eyes were lighter than the midday sky, and her golden hair glistened down her back. Her smile lit up the room for the brief moment Haruka was able to concentrate on the energetic, arousing aura she projected. 

Michiru opened her mouth to speak, but Setsuna noticed their arrival. “Michiru and Haruka are here.” 

“Thank you for coming.” Rei slightly bowed her head. 

The excitable woman beside Rei leapt to her feet. She ran around the table, flattening her sunflower-pattern sundress before reaching out a hand. “Haruka Tenoh, right? I’ve heard so much about you! I’m Minako Aino… You can call me Mina.”

Mina’s extended hand hung in the air while Haruka stared into her sparkling eyes. Confusion and deja vu sparked flashes of scenes and memories. “Have we met before?”

“Umm… I don’t think so.” Mina cast a wary glance at Michiru, who had a vice grip on Haruka’s arm. “Are you going to leave me hanging here or what?”

“Sorry.” Haruka reached out for a handshake. 

“Haruka tends to get flustered around pretty girls. Don’t you?” Michiru asked in a tone suggesting Haruka should agree. 

“Me? Flustered? Never?” Haruka tried summoning her usual confidence, but instead she sounded like a slurring drunk. Mina’s handshake tingled her palm. 

“Let’s sit.” Michiru all but forced Haruka into a seat across from Rei. Michiru sat beside Haruka and across from Setsuna. Haruka leaned into her lover’s arm, which moved behind her back and helped her sit upright. 

“Happy birthday, Miko.” Haruka remembered her manners. 

“Thank you.” The birthday girl bowed her head. Like Mina, she wore a sleeveless sundress, except hers featured bold red and black vertical stripes. Her hair was pulled back with pins that looked like crows, but her bangs freely tickled her eyelashes. Her serious and aloof demeanor were still present, yet Haruka noticed her shoulders were less tense. 

“Yes, happy birthday Ms. Hino,” Michiru echoed Haruka’s sentiments. She reached into her purse and revealed a square gift wrapped in silver paper. 

“You shouldn’t have,” Rei demurred as she accepted the gift. 

“Ohhh, what is it?” Rei’s bubbly friend practically crawled over Rei’s lap to get a glimpse as she opened the gift. Haruka expected Rei to push her away or at least scowl, but she didn’t so much as recoil from the invasion of her personal space. 

“Mina-chan! You’re making a bad impression in front of Mr. Tenoh.” Rei didn’t miss the opportunity to chastise her friend. 

Mina sat upright and tossed her mane of blonde hair with a whimsical shrug. “What does it matter? I’ve already seen all the tabloids. Haruka Tenoh is madly in love with his new young fling, former violinist and college student Michiru Kaiou. It would be wrong of me to interfere. I mean, you guys are so cute together! I just love love, ya know?”

Haruka’s ears rang after Mina’s last sentence. Deja vu smacked her upside the head with enough force to make her eyes water. 

“Ah, kawaii!” Mina continued as she admired Rei’s gift. The present was a package of panda-themed stationery, featuring a pen encrusted with diamonds and obsidian jewels.

Haruka said nothing when Ms. Hino thanked her for the gift. In truth she hadn’t heard much of anything over the ringing in her ears. She felt Michiru’s hand on her back, soothing her in silence, and Setsuna’s burgundy eyes staring her down from across the table. 

She wanted to be her usual self, to flirt with the younger girls until they were uncomfortable, all the while squeezing Michiru’s thighs beneath the table, but Haruka could barely stand to keep her eyes open. She retreated inside of her shell, paying little attention as Setsuna handled ordering dinner for the table. 

Haruka felt Michiru hovering around her the entire time. She hated feeling like a sickly invalid who needed constant attention, but she didn’t have the heart or energy to say as much. Michiru rubbed her back and said sweet nothings that Haruka only vaguely understood. At one point the waiter asked if their infamous guest was feeling well; to which Michiru gave a dismissive, icy response. Mina and Rei apologized for Michiru’s coldness, to which he shrugged off, but not without lingering gazes at the overprotective girlfriend. 

Moving on from the awkward moment, Mina began prattling on about various topics. Haruka paid the conversation little mind. Her focus was on Michiru’s hands, trying to will away the lingering memories of the cut on her hand and the light illuminating the bathroom.

It wasn’t until the food arrived and she heard her name, when Haruka forced herself to emerge. 

“So how does the richest CEO on the planet find time to hang around a Thai dive like this with a bunch of nobodies like us?” Mina asked while slurping down noodles. 

Haruka picked up a slice of what Michiru said was called “roti,” flatbread that she hoped was bland enough to keep her stomach from protesting. Instead of giving a straight answer, she shrugged. “I own the company. Who’s going to fire me?”

Haruka felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket. She wanted to answer it, since it was probably Lulu calling her back, but there was no way she could inconspicuously have the conversation she wanted to in front of Michiru. With a sigh, Haruka took a bite and grinded the bread between her teeth. 

“Okay, good point. But don’t you have lots of board meetings and stuff like that?”

“Not after office hours. Unless I’ve arranged calls with people in other countries.” Haruka forced the response out. The last thing she wanted to do was talk, especially about herself. 

Michiru changed the subject. “What about you, Ms. Aino? What do you do?” Haruka felt Michiru’s eyes constantly on her. 

“Oh, I go to college like you. I’m going for performance arts. But I’m starting to think that’s silly. Why pay all kinds of money for a degree that proves what I already know? I’m an awesome performer. I don’t need a degree to become a famous idol! I just need the right person to believe in me. Hey, Mr. Tenoh! Do you own any scouting agencies or recording companies?”

“No.” Haruka took a sip of her tea. Its bitterness and heat helped return her to reality. 

“Want to buy some?”

“Honestly, Mina-chan!” Rei scoffed. 

Haruka couldn’t help but chuckle at this girl’s tenacity. “If I do, I’ll let you know.”

“Oh, I’m also on my school’s volleyball team. I love playing volleyball. I heard you’re quite the athlete yourself, Mr. Tenoh.”

“Just call me Haruka,” she answered. Haruka wasn’t normally this familiar with people she just met, unless she was flirting, but this blonde girl’s warm and outgoing personality made Haruka feel like they’d known each other for years. “I run track. And play basketball from time to time.”

“I read you’ve never lost a race. 5Ks, Spartan races… there isn’t a marathon you haven’t won. Is that true?” Mina pressed. Rei and Setsuna both raised their eyebrows in curiosity.

“You sure do your homework,” Haruka grumbled into her bowl of green curry. “I guess that’s true.”

‘You guess? That’s amazing!” Minako fawned. Haruka could have sworn her eyes lit up like stars. “Oh, I like to read about celebrities and stuff. It’s one of my hobbies.”

“I’m not a celebrity,” Haruka groaned. 

“What else do you enjoy doing?” Michiru steered the conversation away from Haruka, in spite of Minako’s insistence on talking about her. 

“Well, school and volleyball and keeping up with all the latest fashion and celebrities keeps me pretty busy…” Mina tapped her spoon against her lips in thought. Her bright blue eyes fell to Haruka and Michiru. A slow, mischievous smile spread across her lips. “I’m also the galaxy’s best matchmaker, didn’t you know?”

Haruka choked on her mouthful of curry. Venus’ singsong giggle resonated in her mind. Haruka closed her eyes, bracing herself against the torrent of dreams and teases she had endured from this woman. 

An overbearing sense of dread filled her. Haruka had already experienced too many events today that caused her to seriously consider checking herself into a mental institution. The cut on her hand, the blazing symbol on her forehead, passing out in the bathroom for an hour… 

And she knew the fates were not done playing with her yet. 

Taking a deep breath, Haruka forced herself to look straight at Mina. 

A sparkling gold mask covered her smiling face. 

“Would the table like to order dessert?” The waiter provided Haruka with some much needed respite. 

While Setsuna handled ordering dessert for the table with Rei and Mina’s input, Michiru’s hand cupped the back of her head and gently lowered her down. 

Michiru leaned closer and whispered into her ear. “Haruka... Your eyes are bloodshot. What’s wrong?” 

Everything. Everything was wrong. 

“I can’t tell you now.” Haruka took a deep breath and whispered back, “I just don’t feel well.”

“Then let’s go home,” Michiru urged in an uncharacteristically maternal tone. 

Michiru was right. Haruka wanted nothing more than to go home and lay down in bed, cradled in Michiru’s arms. Instead of agreeing, she stuck with her stubborn argument. “I can handle dessert.”

Michiru pulled Haruka down to place a kiss on her forehead. The gesture spread a healing essence through her, handily defeating her headache as it had the day of the masquerade ball. Haruka held Michiru’s wrists, basking in the sweet ambience of her embrace. 

“Much better.” Haruka gave a crooked grin. This time, it was genuine. The fog lifted, and she felt almost normal again. 

Michiru laced their fingers together. Her azure gaze fell to their conjoined hands. Haruka wished she could read Michiru’s mind. All traces of her teasing, playful nature were gone, replaced with something akin to thoughtful nostalgia.

‘“Yay! Dessert’s here!” Minako cheered as the waiter returned with individual bowls of vanilla ice cream for each of them. A tray of various, exotic looking fruit was served, along with another tray stacked with coconut-rice pancakes. Minako prepared Rei’s dessert, loading papaya, pineapple, and a few other fruits Haruka didn’t recognize. 

“Where did you say you go to school?” Haruka asked.

“The most romantic city in the world, of course!” Mina dug her spoon into her bowl of ice cream. 

“Paris. Impressive,” Haruka replied as she looked at the small bowl of vanilla ice cream sitting in front of her. She immediately thought about the ice cream feast Michiru had on her body that morning. 

“Vanilla is Haruka’s favorite flavor. Isn’t it, Haruka?” Michiru asked in a sly, suggestive tone that set Haruka’s cheeks on fire. 

Haruka stuttered and turned away from Michiru’s expectant smile. The other three women tilted their heads, not understanding why Haruka was so uncomfortable. 

Following dinner’s trend, Minako steered the conversation during dessert. Rei often interjected, while Michiru made all the polite responses Haruka expected. Setsuna remained the quiet observer, saying nothing unless prompted, which was usually by Michiru. 

Haruka ate one of the dessert pancakes and half of her ice cream. She knew she should eat some of the fruit. It looked delicious, but the idea of eating fruit did not settle with her stomach. 

No sooner had Haruka placed her spoon down, did Michiru announced their exit. “I think we’d best head home. Haruka and I both have an early start tomorrow.”

“I do have a seven AM board meeting.” Haruka grimaced at the thought. 

“Thank you for taking time out of your evening to celebrate my birthday,” Rei said with a slight bow. “I hope you are still wearing the charm I gave you.”

“I am.” Haruka tapped one of her pockets. 

“It was a pleasure meeting you!” Mina jumped from her seat as they all prepared to leave.

Haruka was caught off-guard when the energetic young woman came around the table and wagged a bright yellow cell phone in her face. 

“Hey, will you take a selfie with me? Please?” she begged with a whine that made Haruka cringe. “No one’s gonna believe me when I say I had dinner with you if I don’t have proof!”

Haruka was in the middle of straightening the collar on her jacket. She paused, staring blankly at Rei’s friend during her impassioned plea. “Um, well—“

“The tabloids already have enough fuel to add to their fire,” Michiru warned as she came around Haruka’s right side. Haruka felt her cerulean eyes glaring at Rei’s friend; and she was grateful not to be on the receiving end of it. “They don’t need photographs of her with another unknown college student.”

Setsuna cleared her throat. Haruka noticed a silent exchange between her and Michiru. She could only imagine what Setsuna was trying to say. Whatever it was, it softened the hard lines around Michiru’s brow. 

“Then you get in the picture too! I’ll caption it with something like ‘Had a lovely dinner with this non-celebrity and his unconfirmed girlfriend.’ I’ll even tag you. Are you on Snapgram or Instachat?”

Rei audibly groaned from the other side of the table. “It’s SnapChat and Instagram.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said!” Mina quipped before turning back to the couple. “Pleease?”

Michiru stepped between Haruka and the starry-eyed girl. Haruka knew she was going to tell her no, but Haruka decided to interject. The girl seemed harmless. “Okay, okay. Just one picture.”

Michiru looked up at her with narrow, suspicious eyes, to which Haruka shrugged in response. 

“Great!” Minako cheered. The short blonde made herself comfortable between the two, seeming not to notice Michiru silently fuming beside her. She turned her front-facing camera on and held the phone out at arm’s length. “Say ‘Squeeze!’”

Haruka didn’t need to say anything. She had posed for enough photographs in her lifetime. Plastering on a convincing smile was second nature for her. 

The camera flashed. Picture successfully taken, Mina jumped up and bowed. “You guys are the best! Thanks!”

“You’re welcome.” Haruka scratched the back of her head.

Haruka grew even more nervous for the vivacious young woman when she sidled up to her left side, opposite Michiru. 

“Hey, can I tell you a secret?” Minako whispered while curling her index finger, indicating she wanted Haruka to lean down. 

“Um, sure.” Haruka leaned her head down. She felt Michiru’s hand squeezing hers. The possessive gesture made her smirk. 

Quieter than a whisper, the golden woman from her dreams whispered prophetic words into her ear that made Haruka’s forehead twinge.

“Your love will save us all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The midnight snack scene is pulled from the 50 Shades of Grey series.


	27. Whatever It Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final briefing.

**♂**

She stroked the delicate white petals. The sweet aroma wafting from the bouquet Minako gifted her was soothing. Each silky petal had its own signature and story. Their allure was not memorizing or preternatural like staring into the flames, but they were beautiful. A fitting gift from Minako, who traveled from halfway across the galaxy to see her on her birthday. 

“Smile, Rei-chan!” Mina’s sudden outburst snapped Rei from her reverie. She barely had time to secure the vase on her lap before Mina practically leapt into her lap beside it. Rei glanced up in time to give the camera flash a confused expression. 

Mission accomplished, Minako sat upright. Still invading Rei’s personal space, she looked at the image on her phone. “I promised Phobos and Deimos a picture.”

“How are they?” Rei inquired of her guardian crows turned formidable soldiers. They had been fighting alongside the Sailor Guardians for the duration of the Dromedon War, protecting Mars’ territories with a fierce dedication that made her proud. 

“They’re great. Taking orders from anyone besides you was a little, um, transition. But they’re keeping Mars and its territories safe.” Mina leaned forward and sniffed the flowers. “They miss you. We all miss you.”

Rei glanced across the living room to the open kitchen, where Setsuna was making tea. The Space-Time Guardian moved about her business, listening and observing without interrupting. 

Returning to Earth to assist Setsuna in protecting the unawakened Outers and pushing back the Dromedons was a double-edged sword for the Guardian of War. The simple comforts of living on Earth again were a welcome change at first. Lattes and shopping and fresh flowers lifted her mood after years of battle and fatigue and uncertainty in the vast reaches of space. Yes, she and Setsuna were nearly always on alert and took shifts patrolling the city, but the stress was significantly lower. 

However, Rei could not stop herself from worrying. Minute to minute of every day she thought about the Princess, the woman who every cell in her body yearned to protect. She worried about Venus, their leader, and the others. Not being in the thick of the battle was maddening for the one protected by Mars. Conflict was in her blood, and her instincts demanded she be in the center of it. 

“It is strange. Being on Earth again after so long.” Rei skirted the overly emotional response Minako was expecting. She set the vase of fully blossomed white casablancas on the coffee table in the center of the room. 

“Something tells me the city that never sleeps isn’t exactly your cup of coffee.”

“Tea,” Rei corrected. 

At that moment, Setsuna waltzed into the room, carrying a silver tray with three filled teacups, along with a small container of creamer and a bowl of sugar. 

“Sure, I’d love some!” Mina jumped up and helped herself to a cup of Setsuna’s tea, to which she added a remarkable amount of sugar and cream. 

Rei groaned and rubbed her temples. “No, I wasn’t offering you a cup of tea, I was saying the expression is a cup of— never mind.” She sighed, deciding against wasting her breath trying to correct Mina. 

Sailor Venus was right, in that Rei was not enamored with the hustle of city life. The traditional shrine maiden would have preferred to be hiding out in a quiet shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo. 

Rei offered Setsuna a slight bow before taking her cup. She watched the rolling steam for a moment before responding. “This mission isn’t about where I’d rather be.”

“Well, no, but…” Mina chugged half of her tea, which Rei assumed the cream had cooled. “Speaking of where you’d rather be… Now that Neptune has awakened, Usagi-chan said you can come back.”

Rei’s violet eyes narrowed. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Setsuna pause while raising her cup to drink. A hundred thoughts ran through her head. She wondered if Usagi wanted her back. Was she really needed, or did they just want to keep an eye on her? And, of course, she recalled the latest premonition she read from the flames. 

There was no way she could return to space. Not now. 

Instead of giving voice to any of these thoughts, Rei scoffed. “What makes her think Neptune awakening is an asset for us?”

Her rebuttal was inflammatory. Rei couldn’t deny that. She knew if she were in the presence of any other scout they would tell her she was being ridiculous or picking a fight. 

Except these two understood her, at least to a point. Setsuna’s expression remained neutral, though she was the only one who knew exactly what Rei meant. 

Minako tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Rei closed her eyes, drawing the patience to explain herself. “Michiru’s judgement is clouded now. She cares more about Haruka than the mission. You saw how protective she was of Haruka at the restaurant just now. She’ll risk anything to keep Haruka safe. Even our lives.”

Mina giggled, annoying Rei with how flippantly she was treating this discussion. “Yeah, I know she only agreed to the selfie because Setsuna gave her one of those glares.”

“‘Those glares?’” Setsuna parroted, looking slightly amused as well. 

“Yeah,” Mina replied. “One of those ‘Relax, it’ll make the Princess happy’ glares.”

“Hm,” Setsuna hummed noncommittally before sipping her tea.

“Michiru doesn’t want Haruka to awaken. She thinks she is protecting her. Just like their last lives. Michiru told Haruka not to grab her transformation stick, remember? She tried dissuading Uranus from accepting her destiny, in the futile belief that she could preserve Haruka’s innocence.” Rei rolled her eyes at the thought.

Mina shrugged. “So? Michiru will keep Haruka safe from the Dromedons. That frees you and Setsuna so you can go looking for their source and picking off the other stragglers we find. Besides… That’s what the Dromedons want, isn’t it? For Uranus to awaken? Maybe she’s onto something.” 

“We don’t know what they want!” Rei countered. “Just because they didn’t kill Haruka when they had the chance, doesn’t necessarily mean Uranus is their goal.”

“What do you think?” Minako turned to Setsuna. 

Sailor Pluto, who had been sipping her tea and staring out the window, set her teacup on its saucer. “Michiru will do whatever she can to preserve Haruka’s innocence, in that I have no doubt. But there are many things beyond her control. Our enemy’s ambitions aside, Michiru cannot shield Haruka from her destiny.”

“Are you saying Uranus’ awakening is inevitable?” Mina asked. 

Setsuna silently sipped her tea once more. Taking the gesture as a refusal to answer, Rei leveled her gaze at her leader. “Don’t bother. She isn’t going to answer a direct question like that.”

“A Senshi never awakening would be…unprecedented.” Setsuna turned and gave the two Inner Scouts a suggestive glance. 

“I’m sure it’s only a matter of when. Which means Michiru is wasting her time and extending her misery for no reason,” Rei assumed. 

“I feel bad for her. Michiru, I mean.” Mina sighed and looked down at the empty teacup resting on her lap. “She has to look at Haruka every day, hiding things and lying to her. With all those moments between them she can’t share. I bet it’s killing her.”

“You only say that because you feel guilty,” Rei rolled her eyes again.

“Aww… Rei-chan, you wound me!” Mina showed off an exaggerated pout. “If you’re saying that because you know I’m the best matchmaker in the galaxy and helped them get together back in the Silver Millennium, then, yeah. I guess I do feel a little responsible.”

“Stop calling yourself that,” Rei grumbled. 

“Hey! I’m only here for one night. You should be nicer to me.”

“It’s my birthday, you should be nicer to me!” Rei countered with a flare of her infamous temper. She cleared her throat. Mina was right. There was no telling when they would see each other next; they needed to cherish their time together.

“I’ll be nicer to you. If you let me,” Mina winked. 

Rei tried to roll her eyes again, but she couldn’t. The soldier of love’s sparkling blue eyes, luscious lips, and infectious aura made it hard. Especially when she was this close, brushing Rei’s bangs out of her eyes. Magic brushed from Mina’s fingertips, tingling against her forehead. 

Rei missed Venus. She missed everything about her. Mina was full of life and joy, yet dedicated and determined. She was warm, and never shied away from Rei’s fiery disposition. She smelled like cotton candy and morning dew. Rei would never confess these things to anyone, seeing as how she could barely admit them to herself, but she yearned for Minako’s presence like no other. 

“And how did you feel, telling Haruka about the life you had to abandon when the Dromedons came? As if it’s the life you’re living now?” Rei pushed the subject as far away from her own feelings as possible.

“Hmm…” Mina twirled a lock of Rei’s raven hair around a finger and shrugged. “I know that life is waiting for me. We’ll beat this enemy soon.”

Rei set her empty teacup on the silver tray and sighed. “I wish I could be that optimistic after two decades.”

“And maybe this time I’ll get you to come with me,” Mina suggested while playfully elbowing Rei. 

“I think we should be talking about eradicating the current threat before talking about an imaginary future. That won’t exist if we don’t take care of the Dromedons, by the way.” Rei looked to Setsuna, who had returned to being a wallflower. She could tell Setsuna was patiently waiting for the topic of conversation to return to business. The two of them were both anxious to hear a firsthand account of the situation out in space from someone other than the princess. Usagi had a habit of glossing over the negatives.

“Okay, okay. So, thanks to Ami-chan and Setsuna’s genius, that serum they created has really turned the tide for us. We’ve reclaimed a lot of territories. Usagi-chan told you about Charon castle, right?” Mina asked Pluto. 

“Yes.” Setsuna inclined her head. A shadow of a smile crossed her lips. “It is a relief to hear the situation is turning around.”

“Yeah, we’re just having some hiccups with production. We can’t make enough of it to keep up with demand. These Dromedons… They keep showing up. We can’t figure out if they’re coming from their source or Andromeda.”

“Still no closer to finding that thing?” Rei asked. 

MIna shook her head. “No. We’re kind of running out of ideas. Ever since our failed attack shortly after Uranus and Neptune died, well… you know. It’s been hiding ever since. Oh, but there’s one other thing. Since we’re low on the anti-venom stuff, we’ve been faking them out a few times. Going into battle against them with placebos. They see the syringes and act super cautious. Some of them fly off without even fighting. And they always come to this sector.”

“Earth?” Rei arched a dark eyebrow. 

“You said you’ve seen an uptick in enemy activity, right?” 

“Well, yeah, but…” Rei and Setsuna shared a short glance. It was subtle, but not subtle enough to escape Sailor Venus’ notice. 

“What is it?” Mina narrowed her eyes. She split her attention between her two comrades. Rei turned her attention to the casablancas. 

“We have everything under control,” Setsuna stated in her flat, even tone. She gathered the empty teacups onto the platter and retreated to the kitchen to dispose of the dishes. 

“Rei-chan…” Mina somehow wriggled herself closer to Rei’s body. Rei held her breath, trying not to inhale Minako’s intoxicating scent. If the Senshi of Love was any closer, she’d be sitting in her lap. “What is it?”

“Nothing. Like Setsuna said, everything is under control.”

Mina narrowed her eyes. She leaned closer, touching the tips of their noses and studying Rei’s eyes with unrelenting scrutiny. Rei would have swatted her away if she wasn’t trying her hardest not to draw suspicion. 

“Oh yeah? Usagi-chan says you two have been awfully quiet. Outside of Neptune awakening, you haven’t said much about the enemy… What’s going on? No lying!”

“I’m not--” Mina poked her in the forehead, finding the limit to Rei’s patience. Rei batted her hand away and scowled. “Nothing is going on. You’re just being weird.”

“You know…” Not deterred by Rei’s standoffish behavior, Minako walked her fingers along Rei’s thigh. “I could just… order you to tell me.”

Rei bristled. She had little patience for Mina dangling her authority in situations outside of battle. 

Before Rei could return the threat, Setsuna spoke. “The Dromedons do not create illusions or transform into spectres from the past. They are parasites; forcing themselves into a host and controlling it. Until it dies.”

“‘It?’” Mina repeated with a gasp. “You’re talking about people?”

“Yes.” 

“So what are you saying?” Mina cut to the point. She never had the patience for Setsuna’s cryptic way of speaking.

“In order to destroy the Dromedons that have been possessing humans and morphing them into the Witches, we’ve had to kill them,” Setsuna explained. There was no emotion in her voice. No remorse. No guilt. 

For Rei’s part, she had been doing this alongside Pluto long enough to know she did experience a twinge of regret the two times they killed a human in order to destroy the alien parasite inside of them. It was gruesome and unpleasant. Neither of them liked this part of their duty, but they understood it was something that needed to be done if they were ever going to eradicate the Dromedons. 

Michiru understood. Haruka would understand, too, if the stubborn fool would ever awaken. 

But the Inner Scouts? And the princess? They were too idealistic to take matters into their own hands like this. Rei always knew there was a reason she butted heads with Usagi and Mina so much when it came to matters of war. There was a reason the Outer Scouts always took it upon themselves to do the dirty work in the name of protecting the Moon Kingdom. 

The rest of them didn’t have the stomach for the this. 

“You… what?” Mina blanched. She pulled away from Rei, looking at her as if she was a stranger. The soldier of love abandoned her spot on the couch to stand in the middle of the living room. Her hurt, bewildered gaze was split between the two outliers, still not believing what she had just heard. 

“The first time was an accident,” Rei began explaining. Not because she felt like their actions warranted explanation, but because she did not know how much longer she could withstand the distant disappointment in Venus’ expression. “The first time Michiru was attacked, it was the Viluy and Mimete lookalikes. Mimete got away, but we killed Viluy. We had no idea she was really an infected human until she was already dead.”

Setsuna assumed the tale. “We injected her with the serum. Even after being made vulnerable and taking multiple hits, the Dromedon did not abandon its host. We believe they are bound until death. There doesn’t appear to be any other way.”

Mina stuttered, trying to find words in light of this new information. “The princess won’t approve of this.”

“The princess trusts me to do whatever it takes. And I am.” Setsuna’s voice held a cold, hard edge, enveloping her authority as Sailor Pluto and immortal Space-Time protector. The chill in her tone quelled Rei’s innate heat. 

“She didn’t give you carte blanche to kill innocent people!” Mina shouted back. 

Frustrated, Rei leapt from the couch. She interjected herself between Minako and Setsuna. Encompassing the fury of the flames, she unloaded every talking point she had mentally practiced in preparation for justifying her actions to the sanctimonious Inner Senshi. “Pluto doesn’t answer to you. So if you want to pick a fight because you don’t like our methods, then talk to me!”

Mina crossed her arms over her chest. “Rei-chan. I already know what you’re going to say.”

“Do you?” Rei shot back. “Because you haven’t been here! You’ve been out killing aliens that don’t look like humans, telling yourself your holier-than-thou attitude is justified because you’re killing creatures that don’t look or talk like us! But you know what? They’re sentient beings too.”

“They’re also our enemy! You’re killing people who’ve done nothing wrong!”

“No shit, Mina! Do you think we enjoy doing this? We have no other choice!”

“There is always a choice!”

“You sound just like her.” Rei turned away with a sardonic laugh. Contempt built in her chest, heavier than the guilt over killing the unfortunate humans, and heavier than the sadness she felt when being separated from the others for so long. Mars needed Princess Serenity and the other Inner Senshi. They were a part of her. Her soul, her crystal, longed for them every day they were separated. No matter how much they argued, Rei needed them.

Minako was finally here, and all they were doing was arguing. 

“And you sound like the Outers. What’s your point?” Mina countered. Rei felt her sweet voice wavering. 

“My point is…” Rei took a deep breath. 

What was her point? Was there a point to this argument besides pushing away one of the few people she let inside of her guarded heart? “This war has been going on over twenty years! And we’re going to do whatever it takes to finally put an end to it! That life. That… fantasy you shared with Haruka over dinner. That’s the life you deserve. That’s… I want that for you. And you’ll never have that unless we destroy the Dromedons for good.”

“Yeah? And what will you do if one of us gets possessed by a Dromedon? Kill us?”

Rei blinked at the hypothetical question. She hadn’t considered such a possibility before now. The unexpected challenge did not change anything, however. 

“I’ll still do whatever it takes,” Rei stubbornly argued, though her tone lacked the conviction of her words.

“Rei-chan…” Rei stiffened when she felt Mina approaching her from behind. The tingling sensation of her lovely aura drew closer, stirring Rei’s dormant heart and rekindling sensations she hadn’t let herself feel in years. 

“Please come back with me,” Mina implored. “We can send Jupiter in your place for a little while. It’s not the same without my second in command beside me.”

Rei closed her eyes. Mina’s offer was tempting. Living with Setsuna was refreshing, and a welcome break from the constant arguments she found herself in with the Inners. But it could never replace fighting alongside her comrades.

“I can’t,” Rei answered at length. She tried hiding the disappointment from her voice. Successful or not, Mina’s hands on her shoulders made them tense. 

“Why not?” 

“I saw something. A premonition. I’m needed here.” Rei recalled the foreboding visions her firewatching had bestowed upon her. 

“Oh, well why didn’t you say something sooner?” Mina chastised her with forced cheer. “What did you learn?”

“Neptune’s awakening has set things into motion. Her actions will determine the course of the war. Tomorrow. Or a year from now. I’m not certain. Either way… I have to stay.”

“I understand.” Venus rest her head on Rei’s shoulder for a brief moment. Before Rei could decide whether to pull herself away or lean into Mina’s touch, the decision was made for her. 

Mina turned Rei around and regarded her. “Is that what you were talking about earlier? When you said Michiru would put our lives at risk to save Haruka?” 

“The premonition concerns me,” Rei tried explaining the emotions and sights bestowed upon her through fire reading. Describing the knowledge imparted upon her by the flame’s wisdom to those with no knowledge of the sacred art was nearly impossible. 

Michiru and Haruka. Impossible decisions. Turmoil and strife. Dromedons… so many Dromedons. And, for reasons even she did not understand, she was at the center of it all. 

“Oh, Rei-chan…” Mina tilted her head and smiled. “Whatever the crossroads you saw are… If it comes down to Michiru having to make a decision, it will be out of love. Nothing bad could ever come from that.”

Rei was unconvinced. She remained skeptical, but also felt lighter. There would always be the burden of her premonitions. At least there were no more secrets between her and Mina. The relief, which Rei silently thanked Setsuna for having the courage to speak, was palpable.

“I swear, it’s like you haven’t learned anything in all of our time as guardians,” Mina teased, all traces of their argument gone. “Their love will save us all, you’ll see!”

“Can we stop talking about those two?” Rei chided. “It’s my birthday, remember?”

“Oh, I remember. Setsuna wouldn’t let me forget.” Mina cast the statuesque observer a dubious glance. “I should show you all the threatening text messages she sent me.”

“Something tells me you didn’t need much convincing,” Rei countered. 

Mina waved her off with a grin. “Whatever. Anyway, what do you want to do?”

“I just want to go to bed,” Rei found herself admitting. Being in Mina’s presence made it impossible to deny the emptiness she was able to ignore without her. 

“Okay. Where’s your room?” Mina looked around the open apartment, unable to pinpoint where Rei’s personal lodgings were. 

“Well, that’s the thing… I’ve been staying in Michiru’s room.” 

“Something tells me Michiru won’t mind if I sleep with you in her bed tonight.” Minako wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“I bet she would now,” Rei grumbled. “You really pissed her off at dinner.”

Mina scoffed. She placed a hand over her heart as if she were surprised. “Why would you say that?”

“You’re impossible.” Rei gathered her vase and brought it into the kitchen. She began filling it with water, ignoring Mina who was tagging closely behind. Distracted with her task, Rei did not notice Mina pulling out her cell phone or Setsuna retreating to her bedroom. 

“Fine. I’ll just ask her myself,” Mina chirped. 

Hearing the distinct tone of a phone ringing, Rei turned and glared at Mina. The soldier of love was holding out her phone, which was set to speaker mode, and she was calling Michiru. 

“What are you doing?” Rei hissed. 

Mina shrugged playfully as the call picked up. 

_“What is it?”_ Michiru’s alluring, sweet voice was laced with tension. 

“You know, most people start phone calls with ‘Moshi moshi.’ Or just ‘Hi’ in America, I guess,” Mina teased. 

Rei set her filled vase on the counter. Mina was playing with fire; or rather, a tsunami, Rei inwardly mused. There was no way she could have forgotten how serious Michiru became whenever Haruka or their mission was involved… So what exactly was she trying to prove?

_“You know I can’t speak freely on the phone.”_

“Is Haruka awake?” Mina set her phone down on the counter beside the flowers. 

_“She finally fell asleep. Why?”_

Rei crossed her arms. Michiru sounded as suspicious as she was. 

“Because Rei said you’re mad at me. You’re not mad at me, are you?” Mina pouted at the phone and whined. Rei imagined Michiru’s exaggerated eye rolling. 

_“You were pressing Haruka. Too hard. She is suffering from headaches, and memories make them worse.”_

“Well, she lives with you… Aren’t you a constant memory?” 

Mina posed the question innocently enough, but the implication hung on the phone line. At this point, Rei could only assume Mina was asking for trouble. 

_“Yes. I suppose I am.”_

The succinct, yet vague response, was haunting. Michiru had already considered her presence as a stressor to Haruka’s fragile state of mind, and clearly had mixed feelings about the situation. For someone who said she felt sorry for Michiru, Mina was acting rather inconsiderate.

“I don’t think how Haruka feels or whether she becomes Sailor Uranus or not is something any of us should worry about. Know why?”

Rei didn’t speak. She felt more comfortable with Michiru unaware of her eavesdropping. She almost expected Neptune not to answer, but the Deep Sea Guardian begrudgingly played along. _“Why?”_

“Because that’s not something we have any control over. What you can control is you. And I know, I just know, that Haruka wants you with her, no matter what! Even if being reminded of your lives before, or even just being with you, makes her sick. I don’t match couples that wuss out when things get hard! So you better stick it out and do right by her!”

_“What makes you think I wouldn’t?”_ The reply was terse, but considerably less virulent than Rei anticipated. 

“Because you’re concerned and exhausted, Neptune. I can tell. You’re sad and lovesick and hate seeing Haruka in pain all the time. And sooner or later you’re gonna start going down that martyrdom route you Outers like so much. ‘She’s better off without me, I only make her suffer, I’m constantly lying to her, blah blah blah!’ So I’m just telling you now, don’t even entertain those thoughts!”

_“Was that the only reason you called?”_

Mina grinned at Rei. Michiru’s dismissal of Minako’s pep talk meant it had the intended effect. Rei rolled her eyes yet again, but this time there was a smile on her lips. 

“Not exactly.” Mina winked at Rei. “I wanted to ask if I could sleep in your bed tonight.”

A sound, something like a seductive purr, made Rei’s spine tingle. _“With Rei?”_

“Yeah.” Mina reached out to thumb Rei’s cheek. Dormant, slumbering embers crackled to life. 

_“Ah, so the truth of the matter is revealed.”_ Michiru’s tense voice transformed into a sultry, mischievous cadence. _“It is Rei’s bedroom now. Do whatever you wish.”_

“Okay, thanks.” Mina picked up the phone to hang up, but hesitated. “Hey, Neptune. It was nice seeing you again. And with Haruka… even though she’s different. I’m sorry.”

_“Protect the Princess at all cost. It is what Uranus would want.”_

“I know.” Mina ended the call with a smug grin on her face. 

“What’s so funny?” Rei asked, already suspecting she knew the answer. 

Mina pulled away from the counter in favor of loosely wrapping her arms around Rei’s waist. 

“Michiru kept skirting around what I was saying. That means I was getting through to her.” The Inner Senshi leader pressed their foreheads together. “But anyway… you said you didn’t want to talk about them anymore.”

“I wanted to go to bed. Half an hour ago,” Rei complained, but it lacked her usual bite. Mina’s sweet scent and bewitching aura made it impossible for Rei to be angry. The last time the two of them had been alone, intimately, was also a painful reminder of how fleeting times of peace were. 

“There’s been so much war…” Mina tilted her head thoughtfully. Her eyes—those playful, piercing blue eyes— were the embodiment of Venus’ amorous magic. “I think it’s time we balanced the scales, don’t you?”

The visions of Rei’s premonition flashed before her eyes. Peace and violence. Love and war. The eternal struggle of opposing elements that relied upon each other to exist. The bigger picture was still beyond her reach. But the flames knew. 

They had shown Rei the necessity of worshipping the goddess whose power rivaled, and equaled, her own.

“Being with you, tonight…” Rei trembled with the energy of a fulfilled premonition. Prophetic words weighed down her heart. “Will help balance the scales in our favor.” 

“Oh good.” Mina’s smile widened. She took Rei’s hand and began leading her out of the kitchen. “Then let’s go, birthday girl!”

“There’s just one more thing.” Rei held firm, causing Minako to bounce back toward her. 

“Yeah? What’s that?” 

Rei took a deep breath. She hated this nervous feeling. There was no reason to feel uncomfortable. Years had passed since the two of them were alone together, but that didn’t erase the experiences they already shared. Their last passionate encounter was decades ago, despite the memory of Mina’s searing kisses remaining fresh in her mind. 

Sailor Mars showed no hesitation when it came time to charge onto the battlefield, or risk her life for her comrades. But when it came to matters of the heart; her deepest, most vulnerable desires, she was skittish and afraid. 

But she couldn’t waste anymore time. Not when she felt the very real possibility of never seeing Mina again hovering in her nightmares. 

Rei surrendered herself to the goddess of love’s mouth. She poured twenty years of war and turmoil and loneliness into their kiss. She prayed the spirits would help guide her; to tell Mina the story of her longing without words. 

Rei savored the magic in her kiss. The soothing, inviting feel of her lips. Mina’s hands were not even on her body, but Rei was already drawn into her. 

With considerable effort, Rei withdrew and stared into the immaculate gaze of love personified. “You said I’m acting like I haven’t learned anything as a guardian. But that’s not true, I…” Rei paused, momentarily at a loss for words while under Venus’ curious and hungry scrutiny. 

“I do believe everything will work out in the end. Provided everyone plays their part. Usagi-chan has taught me a lot. It’s just…”

Rei stopped when a finger firmly pressed against her lips. Mina smiled her confident, laid back smile that always put Rei at ease, even when she didn’t want it to. 

“You’re just playing your role. Wearing the mask you have to wear. I understand.”

Mina’s analogy barely scratched the surface, but it was a suitable one. “You’ve always understood me.”

“Let’s go put that theory to the test,” Mina suggested. She was playful, but Rei imagined she also shared some inhibitions, given how long it had been since the last time they were intimate.

Mina laced their hands together, smiling as innocently as ever. 

For the first time in a very, very long time, Rei was ready to set premonitions and war aside. 

The former shrine maiden returned Mina’s smile with one of her own. Flames danced behind her amethyst eyes. 

“Yes, let’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated birthday, Rei!


	28. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru and Haruka play a round of their favorite game.

**♆**

“Check out the latest beauty I’ve added to my collection!” Haruka led Michiru by the hand through her private parking garage. 

The sports car enthusiast was absolutely ecstatic; this was the happiest Michiru had seen her since the morning before they boarded the helicopter. 

Haruka’s joy, which had quickly multiplied in the last hour since she told Michiru she had a “surprise” for her, was contagious. Sailor Neptune felt herself forgetting the weight of her mission, as Haruka’s elation bled into her. 

“It’s a…” Michiru narrowed her eyes at the emblem on the hood. Collectable sports car brand names were one thing that hadn’t changed much in the last twenty years. “A new Lamborghini?”

As if Haruka didn’t already own enough of them, Michiru inwardly mused. She wasn’t sure what was so special about this one… besides the conspicuous paint job. 

Much to Michiru’s chagrin, Haruka decided to tell her. “Not just any Lamborghini! This is a Veneno Roadster! There were only nine of them in existence until now! This baby can reach a high speed of three hundred and fifty five kilometers! And—“ Haruka abruptly stopped her excited prattling. She scratched the back of her neck. “Sorry, I’m probably boring you.”

“Not at all. Your excitement is… adorable.” Michiru’s half-truth was not as convincing as she’d hoped. It was adorable; but more importantly, it was reminiscent of the Haruka Tenoh, famous sports car racer, of their previous life. The reminder was comforting, in that Haruka would always be herself in one way or another. Yet it also made Michiru’s heart ache. No matter how much she tried hardening herself before getting out of bed every morning, it was impossible to smother the inevitable melancholy and sadness that arose whenever she looked into Haruka’s eyes.

“The most innovative part about this car is the use of carbon fibre.” Haruka clicked the automatic started in her free hand. With two synonymous beeps, the car unlocked and the headlights flashed. 

“Carbon fibre? What for?” Michiru played along. 

“Weight. It makes the vehicle incredibly light. Wait until you feel the engine purr, it’s like—“

“You better not drive like a maniac with a lady in the car,” Joshua interrupted. He lowered his sunglasses enough to give Michiru a knowing wink. Prescott, who was standing beside him, kept her expression neutral.

“I don’t drive like a maniac,” Haruka rebutted with a frown. 

Michiru wrapped an arm around Haruka’s waist. Her firm warmth was reassuring. She studied Haruka’s latest prized possession. The bold color choice was not lost on her. 

Michiru sauntered towards the vehicle and leaned against the hood. The engine was already running, yet the purr was so quiet she heard nothing. Michiru slid an index finger down the smooth teal metal. “I’m flattered.” 

“The color doesn’t quite match up…” Haruka accentuated her point by leaning down and nuzzling her face in Michiru’s wavy hair. “I was hoping you’d like it.”

Haruka’s whisper against her earlobe sent shockwaves through her. Michiru hooked her fingers in the belt loops of Haruka’s pants and pulled her closer. 

With Haruka leaning against her, Michiru felt firm weight pressing against her leg from inside Haruka’s pants. Swallowing a groan of sudden desire, she looked up at Haruka with a salacious smirk. “Why? Is this my surprise?”

“No, but the car’s going to get us there.” Haruka held up the electric starter. “So get in.”

“I wasn’t talking about the car,” Michiru pouted. She gave the appendage between Haruka’s legs a quick, hard tug. 

“M-Michiru!” Haruka stuttered as her face flushed. 

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Michiru slinked along the front of the car and opened the passenger side door. She noticed their security guards swapping brief, dubious glances while Haruka fumbled to regain her composure.

“We’ll be following in the black Suburban, Boss,” Joshua spoke while ushering Prescott along. Michiru settled herself into the passenger seat. She smoothed her skirt, adjusted her aviator sunglasses, and checked her cell phone to ensure she had not missed any messages. 

The princess had sent a message to the entire group, wishing everyone a safe day. The text was riddled with spelling errors and punctuated with a rabbit emoji. As Michiru predicted, there were messages from Rei goading her and Ami correcting her spelling and grammar. 

Finding nothing urgent, she tucked the phone away to avoid suspicion. 

“Ready?” Haruka shifted the vehicle while wearing the same infectious smile. 

Michiru had to admit, she was incredibly curious about what sort of surprise could have Haruka this excited. “Ready.”

Haruka tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. Michiru could feel the anxious impatience radiating from her. Haruka was never one to idle in a sports car. She wouldn’t be happy until her foot was on the gas and they were careening along a highway. Michiru briefly wondered if they would even visit a highway, depending on where they were going. Content enough to be sitting besides her eternal lover in a moment of solitude, Michiru relaxed in her seat and said nothing more. 

She cast sideways glances at Haruka. Keeping her thoughts entirely positive was a considerable challenge. After Haruka told Michiru the story of what happened in the bathroom the morning of Rei’s birthday, and the constant headaches she was poorly hiding from Michiru ever since… 

These were causes for concern, to say the very least. Michiru forced herself to play dumb, all the while discouraging Haruka from pulling any future stunts like that again. Haruka was unwittingly going out of her way to force the awakening. 

And that was something Michiru could not allow. 

Even now, Haruka winced while trying to concentrate on driving. She was constantly in pain. Setsuna and Rei were out of ideas as well; it seemed Haruka was doomed to suffer. 

Unless Uranus emerged. 

For the thousandth time, Michiru struggled with her mixed emotions on the topic. Weighing between the tactical and personal reasons for keeping Uranus at bay, and the need for Uranus’ strength to join the fray, was a never ending storm in Michiru’s subconscious.

Within a matter of minutes Haruka was navigating them through the congested city streets. “God I hate city driving. I can’t wait until we’re on the highway. Joshua and Prescott are going to have fun keeping up with me.”

Haruka was rambling. A nervous habit of hers, Michiru knew. “Haruka. What did he say about driving like a maniac?”

“Oh please! No one’s a better driver than me and he knows it!” Haruka moved her right hand from scratching the back of her neck to the shift stick. No sooner had Michiru placed her hand on top of Haruka’s, did the car’s console come to life with an incoming call. 

“Figures.” Haruka disengaged from their brief touch to answer the call. “Jennifer. What’d I tell you about going to the office on a Saturday?”

_“Sorry, sir. Next time I’ll call from my cell.”_

“That’s not--” Haruka shook her head. “Never mind. What do you need?”

_“We just received word the Art Exhibit repairs should be complete by next week. I’ll move ahead with contacting the Assistant Director and the interns, but there’s the matter of Director Kawakami.”_

Michiru kept her expression level. Haruka, on the contrary, was unable to smother her rage at the thought of him. “Even if I track that asshole down he’ll never be employed by Tenoh Industries, or anyone else for that matter, for the rest of his life!”

There was a pause on the assistant’s end. Caught off-guard by Haruka’s sudden outburst, Jennifer stuttered. _“Ah, yes, sir. Then… I shall call Ms. McGregor and offer her a promotion to the title of Director. Shall I leave her to the recruitment of a new Assistant Director?”_

“You know what?” Haruka turned and gave Michiru a wolfish grin. “What do you think, Michiru? Do you want to be the acting Assistant Director over your summer break? You can help hire the replacement.”

“Yes,” Michiru automatically answered. She agreed more to make Haruka happy than because she truly wanted to. With her college semester drawing to a close within two more weeks, she had been looking forward to using her free time while Haruka was working to assist Setsuna and the others with Senshi business. Knowing that keeping up appearances was equally as important to the mission, Michiru was not about to turn the offer down. 

_“Ms. Kaiou is there?”_ Jennifer asked. 

“It’s safe to assume she always is,” Haruka responded. She breached the empty space between them and cupped Michiru’s cheek. 

_“Then should I respond to the press inquiries regarding the status of your relationship? PR is getting bombarded with calls every day asking for statements-"_

“You can tell them to fuck off for all I care.”

“Haruka…” Michiru chided her frustrated lover. 

Temper kept in check by her assistant and lover, Haruka grumbled and focused her gaze on the road. 

_“Sir? Are you still there?”_ Jennifer broke the awkward silence with a tentative prod. 

“Jennifer,” Michiru crooned, “I think for now you should tell the press Haruka is concentrating on recovering from the helicopter accident and declines to comment any further at this time.”

_“Is that acceptable, sir?”_ Haruka’s assistant deferred to her supervisor. 

Haruka cared more about passing the cars that were holding her new sports car back than this conversation, Michiru could tell by her set jaw and white knuckles. Haruka’s impatience behind the wheel amused the Deep Sea Guardian.

“Fine by me. Now if there’s nothing else, go home,” Haruka ordered. 

_“Yes, sir. Thank you.”_

Haruka ended the call. She was stewing, that much was clear. Michiru left her alone to her thoughts and the road for a minute before interjecting. “Miss the days of having submissives never seen with you in public?”

“Not even a little,” Haruka answered without delay. The certainty in her husky voice gave Michiru a dose of reassurance she hadn’t realized she needed. “I don’t miss anything about my life before I met you.”

Michiru raised her eyebrows above the rim of her sunglasses. “When did you become such a romantic?”

Drawing attention to it caused Haruka to blush. Michiru took her hand once more, studying every crease in Haruka’s flawless skin. Even in this relaxed state, the dormant warrior’s grip was firm and strong. 

As Haruka drove them to their destination, Michiru reflected on their first time together in this lifetime. Blindfolded and handcuffed, Haruka’s hands massaging her body were her first glimpse of the intimate passion Haruka was capable of. 

If only Haruka knew what else her hands were capable of…

No. No, they were unstained and clean. Things were better this way. 

“Here!” Haruka exclaimed as the Lamborghini sped onto a cobblestone path. The long, winding road took them away from the side street and onto a secluded estate overlooking the ocean. 

Michiru inwardly scolded herself. So lost was she in her thoughts, she had failed to track their route. She was letting herself become distracted when she should have been alert to trouble. 

A quick glimpse at the console’s GPS told her their location. Michiru lowered her sunglasses and studied their surroundings as Haruka parked the car. 

Their security guards pulled up behind them. Michiru paid Joshua and Prescott no mind. She was focused on the woman letting herself out of the lime green Porsche that was idled and waiting in the driveway. 

“Haruka, who is that?” Michiru asked casually, hiding every negative emotion brewing inside of her. 

She knew exactly who the woman was. Or at least, who she was masquerading as: Lulu Teruno, or Tellu of Witches 5; another spectre from a life long gone. 

The Dromedon’s disguise was flawless. Tellu’s wavy green hair framing her round face and matching eyes were exactly as Michiru remembered. She wore a tailored black pencil skirt and suit jacket over a buttoned shirt of the same bright green color. In her hands she held a black leather folio. 

“She’s a realtor.” Haruka turned the car off and hopped out. Before Michiru could quell the adrenaline preparing her for battle, Haruka had already reached the passenger side door and opened it for her. 

Michiru took Haruka’s extended hand and exited the Lamborghini. After slipping her sunglasses into her purse, she reluctantly looked away from Tellu and took in the expansive estate around them. 

“A realtor…” 

Michiru realized how wrong her earlier assumptions had been. She thought Haruka had contacted Ms. Teruno to get information on Kaori and Tomoe’s whereabouts. Or that Haruka was purchasing real estate. For business. 

Michiru never would have guessed Haruka was buying a house for her. For them. 

“Are you upset? You’re upset, aren’t you? I know I should’ve asked you first but I wanted to surprise you and I know it’s only been a few months but after the crash I decided to stop taking everything for granted and I wanted us to have our own place—“

“I love it.” Michiru pressed her index finger against Haruka’s rambling lips. “Nothing would make me happier than making memories with you in a place of our very own.”

Haruka’s shoulders visibly relaxed beneath her beige peacoat. “You’ll love it even more after the tour! There’s a path to walk down to the beach, an outdoor pool—“

“Now, now, Mr. Tenoh,” the disguised Dromedon reproached Haruka as she sauntered towards the couple. Lulu stood beside Haruka—close enough so their arms touched— and extended a hand to Michiru. “Giving you a tour of the property is my job. Lulu Teruno, realtor with LT Realtors. You must be—“

“Michiru Kaiou,” she interrupted. She directed a narrow glare at the imposter, staring into her devious green eyes for the entire duration of their handshake. Michiru gave her hand an uncomfortably hard squeeze before releasing it and smiling as if nothing were amiss. 

“Ow.” Haruka dug a hand into her pocket. Michiru watched as Haruka revealed the tip of yakuyoke Rei gifted to her. Michiru had already known the realtor was a threat, but she was reassured that Rei’s amulet worked. 

Confused, Haruka scratched the back of her head and shoved it back in her pocket. “Yeah, let’s do that tour now.”

“Certainly, sir. Please follow me.” Lulu grazed her fingertips against Haruka’s shoulder, beckoning her to follow. 

Michiru’s skin prickled. The familiar way Lulu was touching Haruka turned her blood cold. The devious green eyes and sly smile directed at her Haruka were a blight, and Michiru would suffer it no longer. 

Michiru slid herself between her lover and the loathsome parasite. With practiced decorum and a saccharine-laden tone, Michiru made sure to put Lulu in her place. “Haruka would rather not be touched by business partners like that… We wouldn’t want rumors to spread now, would we?”

Lulu tilted her head before releasing a shrilling giggle. “Oh Haruka! You didn’t tell her, did you? We haven’t always been just ‘business partners,’ have we?”

Haruka’s name spoken so freely and coyly on her lips was an abomination. The revelation of their past together, which Michiru would not have been surprised by had she been thinking clearly, kicked her possessiveness into overdrive. 

Haruka’s body became a statue as Michiru’s fingernails dug into her bicep through her jacket. 

“Speak of it or touch Haruka again, and even Kaori will not be able to protect you from the repercussions.”

Lulu glared at Michiru, gauging her threat. Before Haruka could try diffusing the situation, Joshua appeared. 

“We’ll be posted at the exit points, Boss,” Joshua spoke. Sensing the tension, he studied the scene before he and Prescott split off to their posts. Michiru watched Joshua walk ahead of them. He stood to the left of the ornate crystal double doors which served as the house’s main entrance.

Michiru’s personal guard disappeared around the corner, seeking out the rear entrance. 

“Now… Let’s have that tour,” Michiru crooned and directed Haruka by the hand towards the mansion’s main entrance. 

The realtor cleared her throat and began her prepared speech. “So. As you can see, this brick and mortar building is a bit old-fashioned. The second story balcony you see overhead is a relatively recent addition, as well as the crystal doors, chandeliers, and windows.” 

Lulu opened the front entrance, waiting as the couple let themselves in. Michiru kept Haruka’s hand tightly squeezed in her own, spending more time staring at the enemy than taking in the sights. She doubted the Dromedon would try something with two witnesses around, but Michiru was not going to take that risk. 

“You have five acres of land, a cobbled walkway down to the beach that we can view next if you’d like,” the realtor continued as they walked into the main lobby. “There’s all new amenities and appliances. The exit at the rear leads to the inground pool out back. Were there any questions before we begin the official tour?”

The trio paused in the kitchen, where Lulu dropped her folio and began laying out the documentation on the island.

“What do you think, _Ruka?_ ” Michiru stressed the pet name as she snaked her hands around Haruka’s right arm with more force than necessary. 

“Yes, Mr. Tenoh… Which part of the estate would you like to explore first?” Lulu flashed the billionaire a suggestive smirk. 

Michiru fumed and tugged at Haruka’s arm with an insidious stare cast at the realtor. Trapped between the two women, Haruka stuttered and tried wriggling herself out of Michiru’s vice grip.

Haruka’s cell phone rang, causing the women on either side of her to step back. She dug her phone out of her pocket and checked the lock screen. “I have to take this. Excuse me.”

Haruka slipped away from them, answering her phone while exiting the house. “Tenoh here.”

Before Haruka had the door closed behind her, Michiru sprang into action. She was a blue blur, striking her target before it had a second to react. One hand smothered Lulu’s mouth to keep her from crying out. The other stabbed her with a syringe, forcing the sparkling serum into her bloodstream.

Michiru shushed her prey, trembling and whimpering in her arms. Lulu looked, smelled, and felt like a woman. But Neptune knew this abhorrent alien had taken over and transformed this body long ago. Now it was a walking corpse, silently begging to be released from this cruel captivity. 

Michiru’s lips sought out Lulu’s ear. She whispered; cold, methodical, with a lascivious smile. “If you have my memories… Then you must know I would just as soon kill you for touching my Haruka.” 

To accentuate her point, Michiru pressed harder on the needle still lodged in Lulu’s throat. “Knowing that you’re my enemy, well… If there were no witnesses, I would kill you where you stand.”

Too afraid to move or speak, the figure trapped in her arms continued shivering in fear. 

“You know what this is, don’t you?” Michiru hissed in her ear. The Dromedon frantically nodded. Michiru could smell its fear. “Then you know you’re on borrowed time.”

Hearing Haruka’s hand turning the doorknob, Michiru disengaged and deposited the empty syringe into the bottom of her purse. She flashed Lulu a menacing glare before plastering on the polite, refined visage she had been using since they arrived. 

Lulu touched the side of her neck where the needle penetrated her flesh. A snarl, not capable of coming from a human, escaped between rows of pointed teeth. A swirling black starburst appeared on her forehead before her features returned to that of a normal human. 

“Sorry about that.” Haruka approached the table and put her phone away. “What’d I miss?”

Lulu and Michiru, both acting as if nothing transpired, smiled. Michiru took her place beside Haruka and looked up into her bewildered face. “Haruka, let’s buy this house! It is absolutely gorgeous.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to look around some more first?” Haruka asked, befuddled.

“I trust your judgment. Besides, any place to make our very own would make me happy.”

“Okay…” Wary, but satisfied, Haruka pulled a golden pen out of her pocket. “We can finalize the sale now, right?”

Lulu shook her head as if exiting a trance. “Ah, yes, of course. I’ve brought all the required paperwork for you to sign.” 

While the realtor and Haruka worked out the final transaction details, Michiru took out her cell phone and composed a text to both Setsuna and Rei. 

_Tellu is vulnerable. Come to my location and take her out. Bring a fast car._

_We’ve locked down your location._ Setsuna was the first to answer. 

_We’ll do our best to stay out of sight._ Rei was the next to join the group text. 

Michiru looked up at Haruka, who was putting her signature to the last of the paperwork. Lulu watched on with hungry eyes; keeping her distance. Michiru suppressed a smug smile. The Dromedon was shaking, suffering the after effects of the poison she injected into it. 

_I will keep Haruka distracted._ Michiru put her phone away just as Haruka was using her phone to electronically transfer the funds. 

“Done.” Haruka grinned and wrapped her arm around Michiru’s shoulders. Acting as if nothing was amiss, Michiru casually relaxed her head against Haruka’s shoulder without looking away from Lulu. 

“I hope you two enjoy your new home. Pleasure doing business with you Haruka, as always.” Lulu gave a curt bow before practically sprinting out of the house. 

“What’s her rush?” Haruka tilted her head at Lulu’s escape. 

“Hmm… I wonder.” Michiru disengaged herself with a suggestive smile. “Let’s go home.”

Before taking their leave, the couple studied the massive home that was now theirs. With Lulu out of sight for a brief moment, Michiru let herself appreciate this thoughtful, expensive gift from her eternal lover, who did not yet realize their relationship spanned centuries instead of a few months. 

The thought surfaced the nostalgia keeping her awake most nights. Michiru buried the sensation as deeply as she could, but not quick enough for her astute lover. 

Mistaking her melancholy for uncertainty, Haruka reached out to comfort her. Michiru felt a pair of hands around her waist before being pulled into Haruka’s firm body. 

“If you think it’s too soon, say so. I can handle it.” Haruka flashed a crooked, nervous grin. 

If only she knew how many homes they had already built together. “I’ve always loved you, Haruka… I have no reservations about sharing this beautiful home with you.”

Haruka blushed profusely at Michiru’s declaration. Before she could dwell any further on her feelings, Michiru took Haruka by the hand. 

The couple made their way towards the car. Joshua nodded to Haruka and instructed Prescott to meet them up front via the wireless earbuds he wore. 

Lulu’s car was still parked. She was sitting inside of it with the windows rolled up, arranging paperwork and talking on her cell phone.

As Michiru stood beside the Lamborghini, glaring at the invader and pondering what it could be up to, a thought came to her. “Hey, Haruka?”

“Yeah?” 

“I want to drive home.”

Haruka paused midway through putting her sunglasses on. Mouth agape, she froze while processing the unusual request. “You want to drive?”

“That’s right.”

“Umm… sure.” Haruka fished the electric starter out of her pocket and handed it to Michiru. She clicked the button and the expensive sports car chirped to life. 

Michiru leveled her confounded partner with a lascivious grin as they both settled themselves into their seats. Michiru put her sunglasses on and used her rearview mirror to watch the security guards enter their Suburban. Part of her was relieved to have their vehicle between them and Tellu in case she was reckless enough to try something. The other part of her wished these two ordinary humans had never unwittingly became involved in this. 

After setting the GPS, Michiru hit the gas with enough force to knock Haruka back against her seat. “Whoa! Slow down.”

“Not a chance,” Michiru whispered. She stole a glance at the rearview mirror to ensure the Suburban was following. The large black vehicle blocked Tellu’s small Porsche, but Michiru did not doubt she was behind them. 

Michiru couldn’t recall the last time she had driven a sports car. The raw speed and power was intoxicating. She wished they were riding in Haruka’s convertible with the top down like old times, but this would have to do for the time being. 

She pulled the car onto the highway, ramping up the speed as fast as she dared. There were scattered cars on the streets this lazy Saturday afternoon, appearing idle in contrast to their racing vehicle. The sensation reminded Michiru of why Haruka was so in love with pushing these cars to their limits. 

“Umm…” Haruka leaned close to Michiru, checking the speedometer. “Are you mad? About Lulu?”

Entertaining the grotesque images of the alien touching Haruka’s naked body, moaning with pleasure as Haruka fucked her with with one of the phalluses in the Skyloft, caused Michiru to press harder on the gaspedal. 

“Why would I be mad?” Michiru’s terse tone betrayed her rational question. “You don’t expect me to apologize for every person I was with before we met.”

“Well, no. But your exes don’t have a habit of popping up and causing trouble like mine do.”

Michiru’s explosive jealousy abetted, slightly, when she admitted that Haruka’s observation was not entirely true. “That isn’t exactly the case.”

Even with her eyes on the road, Michiru could feel Haruka tense. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Elizabeth and I had sex. Once.”

“You had sex with your art club Vice President?” 

The surprise and jealousy in Haruka’s voice was… enticing. Michiru hadn’t realized how much she missed this game they used to play. Until now. 

As casually as possible, she replied, “we were at a party. She was drunk and I was… bored.”

“Bored?!” Haruka sat up in her seat. “Who else did you have sex with because you were bored?”

Michiru giggled and tapped an index finger against her lips as she pretended to contemplate her answer. Truthfully, she had no problem recalling every undeserving person her oblivious, unawakened self had slept with. The events of her life until Neptune’s power returned to her felt divorced from reality, but she could not deny everything she had done. 

“Well, let’s see, there was—“ Michiru’s teasing was interrupted by the stereo system. Haruka’s generic ringtone filled the car. The touchscreen console indicated Joshua was calling. 

“What now?” Haruka grumbled while Michiru touched the icon to accept the call. 

_“Boss, we’ve got a problem.”_

Michiru tightened her grip on the wheel. 

“What’s that?”

_“We’ve got a tail. Black SUV with no plates has been following us since we got on the highway. Pretty aggressively. Riding Ms. Teruno’s ass.”_

Haruka turned to Michiru with a playful glint in her eyes. “Guess that means we’d better shake them. You up for it Michiru?”

That spark. The flash of Sailor Uranus. The warrior who met danger with a confident smirk and cocky chuckle looked at Michiru. For a brief moment she forgot which Haruka she was looking at. 

Letting Haruka’s excitement propel her, Michiru nodded and shifted the sports car into high gear. 

“Let’s split up and ditch them,” Haruka instructed. 

_“You got it,”_ Joshua answered. 

Neither party ended the call, but they remained focused on their goals and rarely spoke. Adrenaline pounding in her ears, Michiru tried focusing on the road and cars instead of wondering if Setsuna and Rei were the ones in the mysterious vehicle, or if it was someone else. 

“Take a left here!” Haruka ordered. 

Not missing a beat, Michiru turned the car at record speed, running a red light and nearly hitting a red Fiat. 

“Now right!” Haruka pointed. After Michiru successfully cleared the sharp turn, Haruka turned and looked out the back window. “Shit, they’re still on us. Okay, take the right ramp and floor it!”

Michiru followed Haruka’s instructions. She was not entirely sure where in the city they were, so she leaned on Haruka’s knowledge. The car was light and incredibly responsive. Michiru weaved through traffic almost effortlessly, skimming cars and pedestrians with mere inches separating them from collisions. 

“There’s a construction roadblock ahead,” Michiru warned as they fast-approached the telltale orange signs. 

“I know,” Haruka grinned. “Hey Josh, where’d you go?” 

_“On the interstate with Ms. Teruno and that other car. What about you?”_

“Then who the hell is following us?” Haruka spoke on behalf of her and Michiru. “Take a left at the last second. Through the barricade!”

Michiru looked in the rearview mirror again. The figure chasing them was wearing sunglasses and a dark hood, hiding behind a tinted windshield. No matter how hard she squinted, she could not make the figure out. 

Michiru sped up, baiting the car to do the same. After luring their aggressor into thinking she was going to race through the barricaded construction site, Michiru took a fast left. The tires skidded on the pavement, refusing to lose speed. She pushed the car between two orange barricades to their left, clipping one and sending it flying. 

“Hah! You lost them!” Haruka watched with glee as their pursuer drove through the main road barricades and got lodged amongst construction equipment and debris. 

Michiru was too concentrated on her driving to cheer. Their roadway was in the midst of being repaved, making it a messy and rocky mess. The Lamborghini rhythmically jostled along the unpaved road. Michiru narrowly fit the car between a cement mixer and an apartment complex. 

“Okay, the next right should take us to an abandoned strip mall.”

Michiru’s relief at being back on solid pavement was short lived. The abandoned strip mall parking lot was littered with potholes and debris. After sinking into more than one pothole deep enough to scrape the bottom of the vehicle, she decided it was time for a break. 

Michiru parked the Lamborghini and released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She looked over at Haruka, who was flushed and breathing as if she had just run a marathon. 

“That was amazing!” Haruka began gushing over Michiru’s unexpected driving skills. “Joshua you should’ve seen it!”

Joshua chuckled on the other line. _“And you even found yourself a woman who’s as much of a maniac behind the wheel as you! Who’d have thought?”_

Michiru gave the console a playful scowl while Haruka laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. If you’re confident you lost your tail head back to the house. We’ll meet you there.” 

_“Okay. I lost your realtor friend.”_

Haruka shrugged and gave Michiru a smoldering smile. “She’s not my concern.”

_“Did that high speed car chase earn me some free TexMex for dinner?”_

Haruka rolled her eyes. “Sure, we’ll pick some up on the way.”

Haruka ended the call. She was flustered and excited; trying to exhale the adrenaline coursing through her system. Though she was far more practiced in maintaining her composure, Michiru had to admit she felt the same. The Outer Senshi fought the urge to check her phone for updates. She needed to know who was in the extra car, if it was Setsuna, Rei, or a third party.

Coming to terms with the fact that she wasn’t going to be receiving any updates for a little while, Michiru turned her attention to her current mission. 

Which also happened to be her favorite subject. 

No matter how many years and lifetimes passed, Michiru could never get enough of the heavenly warrior. Haruka, Uranus, it didn’t matter who she thought she was; only that she was hers. Again and again. 

“Think we should stay put for a little while? Wait it out?” Haruka asked. 

The question was posed innocently enough. Haruka’s flushed skin and tousled hair and earnest smile sent familiar electric desire through her. High on adrenaline and eager to establish her claim after the heated clash with Lulu earlier, Michiru decided to take what was hers. 

“Yes, we should.” 

Without warning, Michiru unfastened her seat belt and crawled on top of Haruka. 

“M-Michiru? What are you doing?” Haruka fumbled for words while the seductress unfastened her seatbelt. 

“Staying put for a while… as you suggested,” Michiru purred. Her fingers made quick work of the buttons on Haruka’s peacoat. They spread across Haruka’s chest, feeling her breasts beneath the black men’s dress shirt. 

“But- But we’re in a parking lot!”

Michiru held Haruka’s gaze with demanding, unmistakable intent. Desire blossomed in her cerulean eyes, piercing through the tinted shades of Haruka’s sunglasses. 

“ _Ara_ , is that so?” Michiru reached down and pulled the seat lever. Haruka fell back with the seat, laying down at a slight angle. 

“That’s not fair…” Haruka gulped as Michiru removed her sunglasses and flung them to the backseat. “You know I can’t resist you when you speak Japanese.”

_“Sou desu ka?”_ Michiru whispered, making sure to enunciate each syllable. 

Haruka groaned when Michiru yanked hard on her belt. Michiru slid her fingers down Haruka’s exposed neck. “Fair? Let’s talk fair…” 

Haruka reached up to pull Michiru’s face down into hers, but it was pushed away. “How do you think I felt? Standing there while you let that woman put her hands all over you?” Michiru’s tone was seductive, but Haruka began to sweat. 

“Jealous?” 

“And after you teased me with this before we left, too…” Michiru pulled Haruka’s pants and boxers down to her mid-thigh, exposing the silicone, flesh-colored phallus waiting for her. 

Haruka arched an eyebrow, seeming to catch onto Michiru’s game. In a move that surprised even Michiru, Haruka hiked her skirt around her waist and shook her head disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t have worn these.”

Michiru looked down at her exposed panties, anticipating what was coming next. “Haruka—“

Off her undergarments came, in two separate pieces. Bunched fabric in each of her fists, Haruka tossed them to the back with their sunglasses. 

“I liked that pair…” Michiru playfully pouted. 

Haruka’s eyes were bright and hungry. This power struggle was igniting her desire as well. The knowledge of Haruka’s lust, birthed from their age-old game she didn’t remember, confirmed the old Haruka was slumbering somewhere deep inside. 

The thought drove Michiru wild. 

Wanting to feel the depths of Haruka’s need, Michiru let Haruka’s hands grab the back of her head and pull her down into a kiss. The frenzied, wet kiss brought flashing white lights behind her eyelids. Eyes closed and sinking into Haruka’s firm body, Michiru readjusted herself. Knees on either side of Haruka’s narrow waist, and hips strategically located above the hard cock, she fed into Haruka’s carnal lust with her own. 

“I’ll buy you a new pair,” Haruka’s husky voice whispered. “I’ll buy you a hundred new pairs if you want.” 

As the kiss went on Michiru felt Haruka’s demeanor change. She became more confident and demanding. Michiru welcomed the paradigm shift; she found her curiosity piqued with the thought of how Haruka would act after their first jealousy sparring match. 

“Haruka…” Michiru tried continuing the conversation, but Haruka proved she was not interested in speaking with words. Hands wandered through Michiru’s wavy hair, softly caressing her tresses. 

Until they weren’t. 

Haruka used the leverage to pull Michiru’s head aside. Lips and teeth tasted the crook of her neck. Haruka’s hot breath sent chills down her spine. 

“I know what you’re up to.” Haruka hiked Michiru further up, placing her breasts in perfect position for her mouth. 

“Oh?” Michiru began with a coy tone, but it soon morphed into a melody of euphoric sounds. 

Haruka displayed the same disregard for Michiru’s shirt as she had her panties. Teeth clenched her nipple through her rosy blouse and bra. Michiru’s breasts may as well have been bare, considering how easily the contact shocked her center. 

Haruka growled. A resonating, guttural tone that weakened what little of the dominating facade Michiru still held. Knees weak and sex uncomfortably wet, Michiru met the possessive growl with a whimper that told Haruka how badly she needed it. 

Hands circled both of her hips. Eight fingertips pressed into Michiru’s bottom. She was entirely in Haruka’s grasp, and was in no position to try wriggling her way out of it. Not that she had any desire to. The hard, unrelenting hold was exactly what Michiru wanted. 

“You’re trouble.” Haruka punctuated her statement by plunging the cock deep inside of her. Her hands forced Michiru’s hips down onto it. 

“Ahh!” The sudden fullness inside of her throbbing sex was gratifying, even if it was only beginning to combat her frustration. Haruka worked their hips together, gyrating her own and controlling the bulk of Michiru’s movements with her hands. She was not gentle in the slightest, and her urgency drove Michiru wild. 

“Mmm Haruka… I’m so glad you… wore this…” Michiru struggled between the hard thrusts and their accompanying waves of pleasure. She was too breathless to scream, but she was making no effort to be quiet, either. 

Haruka was already breathless, but she chuckled in that husky voice that sent Michiru’s heart fluttering. “You told me to.”

“Mm… I did…” MIchiru leaned forward and dug her fingernails into the headrest behind Haruka’s head. Haruka gazed up at her, bangs dangling in her narrow, hungry eyes. The angle was just right, and her view of Haruka’s familiar, handsome face didn’t hurt either. 

“Are you going to make a mess in my new car?” Haruka teased. Michiru’s only response was a pleading whimper as Haruka’s thrusts worked to complete the crescendo steadily ascending inside of her. 

“I’m going to--Ngh-- make a mess in… all of your cars,” Michiru returned the jab. Her words turned tighter as her muscles constricted harder and faster against Haruka’s cock. The addicting, tingling emotional release only Haruka could provide her was coming. The high octave of her cries was evidence enough to her skilled lover, who pulled her close and bit her bottom lip. 

“Then show me.”

Michiru obeyed the order. It wasn’t difficult, after all, to release every emotion she harbored for, and because of, her Heavenly Warrior. The Deep Sea guardian moaned into Haruka’s mouth while her waters poured out all over them. Lost in the moment, with Haruka’s hands fiercely holding her face where she belonged, and her hips not relenting in their pursuit of bringing her to orgasm, Michiru was incapable of caring about exactly how much of a mess she was making. 

Haruka wanted this proof of conquest and lust, and Michiru had every intention of giving the part of herself she was allowed to give. 

It wasn’t until Michiru was reduced to silent screams, when Haruka eventually relented. High on endorphins, Michiru struggled to keep her heavy eyelids open. If they were in bed she could have curled up beside Haruka and fallen asleep right then. But their awkward position in the car, and her returning sense of duty, kept her awake. 

Haruka smoothed wavy tendrils from Michiru’s sight. Her face was flushed and her shirt was disheveled, but she was beaming. She was rather proud of herself, Michiru guessed, and she had every right to be. 

“How do you feel?” Haruka asked before planting a kiss on Michiru’s forehead. 

Michiru sighed. Haruka’s lips tickled the dormant symbol of Neptune’s power on her forehead, sending a tingling sensation throughout her entire body. No matter the time or life, Uranus would always have this effect on her. 

“How many cars did you say you have?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most, if not all, of the main events in this chapter are pulled from 50 Shades: buying a house, slutty realtor, car chase, car sex, etc.


	29. A White Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka confronts Michiru about her aloof behavior.

**♅**

_The guards do nothing to stop me. Whether they were told to expect me, recognized my talisman, or heard rumors of our night together at Queen Serenity’s masquerade ball, I cannot say. Nor do I particularly care, so long as they do not try to come between Neptune and I._

_I enter the vast castle, all caverns and stalactites and water. The only walls are gushing waterfalls. Their currents are strong, making hearing anything beside their crashing waves difficult. Seashell fossils are embedded in the blue-grey rock serving as a floor._

_There’s always at least an inch of water on the ground. Clear water trickles down the staircase, waterlogging my sandals. I should have worn something more suitable for Neptune’s climate, not my layered silk dress and the sandals I run through the desert sands in._

_Receiving her response on my communicator, well… I began thinking even less thoroughly than usual since the night she bared the depths of her passion to me._

_Placing my hand over my breast and the Neptune badge, I wander for what feels like a lifetime. If I’d known anything about how extremely vast her “personal quarters” were, I would have asked for more specific directions before bolting here like the lovesick fool that I am._

_My patience is rewarded. She is perched before an easel fashioned from rock, painting away. I know she knows I’m here; Triton Castle is as much a part of her as Miranda Castle is to me. While inside, I feel the ebb and mingling of energies. Most certainly, the unique and powerful signature of a fellow guardian could not go unnoticed._

_While the impressive backdrop of Neptune’s atmosphere looks down upon us, inked swirls of ebony and indigo mingling across a starless sky, it doesn’t hold my attention for more than a second. How could it, when the most serene, graceful, beautiful woman in the Milky Way is present before me._

_I notice the subtle crease in her brow as she concentrates. Each stroke on the canvas is meticulous and planned well in advance, if lack of hesitance in her strokes is any indication. I’ve waited so many days and nights to see her again, I find myself summoning a patience I don’t believe myself capable of; just to watch her masterful hands at work. My thoughts drift to my last memories of those hands, tracing every nook of my body as if committing it to memory, after long hours of lovemaking that I still can’t describe._

_Perhaps this is her plan: let my anticipation swell while watching her perfectly poised body, dressed in a nightgown, hugging her curves while her naked hands create life on the canvas._

_“What are you painting?”_

_I could walk over and look. But since she’s set upon teasing me from afar, I’m committed to doing the same._

_“My favorite subject,” she answers without looking up from her project. There is a slight hitch in her rosy lips, telling me she’s finding humor in our exchange already._

_“You should have given me more specific directions. It took me the better part of an hour to find you.”_

_“You didn’t ask.”_

_She thinks she is being coy. And maybe, to anyone else who hadn’t been on the receiving end of her flirting for years, it would have gone unnoticed. Neptune glances at me from the corner of her eye. I feel her unwavering confidence and heady desire in the short exchange. How could I have missed it all those years before?_

_“I’ll learn to be more direct. Like how you learned to be with me.”_

_Neptune startles, albeit slightly, and sets her paintbrush down. It feels better than it should, catching her by surprise for once. “Venus told you that?”_

_“Oh, she trapped me as I was trying to leave the guest quarters…” I let my story hang in the air. Deliberately, at first, then Neptune stands and the curves of her body are on display beneath the cerulean dress she wears, held in place by a solitary seashell clasp._

_I’ve forgotten everything I wanted to say._

_She saunters toward me, eyelids heavy with the power her presence wields over me. “And?”_

_I clear my throat. “And she told me a lot of things. There’s only one thing that she wouldn’t tell me.”_

_“And that would be?” The closer Neptune draws, the more intoxicating her aura becomes. The intricate details of her gown come into view. Blush creeps up my neck when the details of her dress, or rather, the body beneath the dress, reveal themselves to me. The material is sheer, looking like some sort of transparent silk. It looks to be wrapped around her at least twice, but that does nothing to conceal the pert nipples, the curve of her belly, nor the dark mound of hair between her supple legs._

_I can’t help but imagine her standing beneath one of the waterfalls in her palace, cold water splaying about her, clinging the material to her body like a second skin. Teal curls lessened by the weight of the water and the oceans in her eyes inviting me to join her…_

_Realizing my short fantasy may very well become reality in the near future steals all reason from my addled mind._

_“Um...” I slither out of her hold just enough to point to the pin fastened above my heart. “This pin you gave me. What does it mean?”_

_“Does it have to mean something?” She cocks an eyebrow. I know she’s teasing me, but as always, I fall for it._

_“I didn’t think it did. I mean, besides being a gift. But Venus said it did. So then I couldn’t stop wondering and--”_

_“And you didn’t think to just ask me over our communicators?”_

_“Uh, well, those aren’t exactly private channels, and…”_

_Cool tendrils pass through my hair. I place my hand over her forearm, not firm enough to keep her hand there, but gentle enough to show I don’t want her to stop. “You needed an excuse to come see me. I understand.”_

_I wondered what I would need an excuse for. I shrug. “Maybe. Did it work?”_

_“Did anyone bother you while you wandered the castle looking for me?” Neptune asks. Her azure gaze shifts to the gift. I shake my head. “Good. This badge marks you as my trusted companion, free to travel to and fro without interruption.”_

_“Oh.” Well, that explains the queer way the guards all ignored me while I explored. Something tells me that wasn’t quite what Venus, the self-proclaimed matchmaker of the galaxy, meant. “What else does it mean?”_

_Neptune slithers against me. Her submarine chill against the desert heat of my planet feels wet. My skin prickles in response to the unspoken desires pouring from her touch. She’s melting into me. I feel a sense of hesitant embarrassment as she holds onto the words in her mouth._

_At length, she forces her eyes to look away from the trident pin and into my eyes. “It means, quite simply, that you’re spoken for.”_

_I remember her insistence that night. That fixation on a particular phrase. That I tell her, more than once, how I belong to her._

_“You’re a quick study,” she sees in a deeper tone indicating she’s talking about something else entirely. “That’s right. You are.”_

_“You decided that after only one night together?” I ask sheepishly. My breath hitches as her fingernails etch a southward path, down the neckline of my dress._

_“Do you think I spent years pining after you for one night of entertainment?”_

_“It sounds silly when you put it that way,” I mumble while wondering where her fingers plan on going next. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, you wouldn’t have to wait on me if that’s all you wanted.”_

_She harrumphs at my flattery but doesn’t address it. “All this chatting with Venus, and she failed to mention how… possessive us Neptunians can be in our courting?”_

_I’m not sure if that was a jest, but I find myself chuckling. It’s more nerves than at her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. “Must have slipped her mind. What does that make you, then?”_

_Her azure eyes shift from my chest to my eyes. “What do you mean?”_

_“If I’m yours, then what does that make you? Did I unwittingly agree to anything else I should know about?”_

_It’s her turn to laugh now. Her chest reverberates against mine. The soft trill of her giggle echoes into the vast darkness of Neptune’s dawn. “I am yours as well, Uranus’ Heavenly Warrior. I’ll prove it to you now, if you’d like…”_

_Her lips sink to my collar bone, exposed due to the thin straps of my dress. My blood churns, turning into a torrent of unbearable need and heat. I feel the crashing in my veins. And, though I’ve done nothing but fantasize day and night about being with Neptune like this again, a nagging thought pulls me away._

_“You know we can’t--we shouldn’t--have such an affair. It will interrupt our mission. Cloud our judgment. Distract us.”_

_I don’t know if my words have any effect on her. Hell, they certainly weren’t persuasive to my own ears. But she pauses, looking up at me with those lustful eyes containing stars and ocean depths and so many other mysteries I want to spend the rest of my life unraveling._

_“If this is so frowned upon, then why did Queen Serenity all but arrange an entire masquerade event to stage our coupling?”_

_“I… I’m not sure.” So, Neptune did know Venus had somehow talked the queen into hosting that party._

_“Our duty is our duty.” Neptune tilts her head, pensive. “But you’re right. Distractions can be ill-afforded in these dangerous times. In light of this, perhaps it would be prudent to come to an agreement.”_

_Supple hands massage my hips, creeping around to my rear._

_“An agreement that… No matter what happens, what dangers we face, or the challenges that may arise between us, we shall honor our duty to the Moon Kingdom and the royal family,” I whisper into her parted lips._

_“We will make whatever sacrifices necessary for the safety of the Moon Kingdom and Earth,” Neptune finishes._

_I nod, trying not to disturb her lips against mine. This reminder that she is a formidable soldier, dedicated enough to forsake our love if required for the greater good, deepens our bond. I pull her into me, fueled with this surge of respect and camaraderie._

_Neptune pulls back and smiles. “Come to my bed?”_

_I shake my head. “Actually, I’d like you to take me to your favorite waterfall.”_

**♅**

_“Okaa-san…”_ Haruka whispered in an exaggerated fashion into her cell phone as she entered her bedroom. The runner’s brisk morning run had briefly alleviated her constant headache, but it was returning with a vengeance. 

Michiru was, miraculously, still sleeping, and Haruka did not want to wake her. The unexpected call from her mother was making being stealthy especially difficult. 

_“Don’t ‘Okaa-san’ me! Do you have any idea how it felt to find out you almost died from the news? Why didn’t you call? And why haven’t you been returning my calls, for that matter?”_

Haruka winced as she peeked through the crack between the curtains, studying the amber clouds of dawn. _“Gomen._ I don’t have a good excuse.”

 _“Too distracted with that girlfriend you’ve told me next to nothing about?”_ Her tone was teasing, but Haruka sensed the hurt behind the words. 

“You could say that.” Haruka turned to look at the young woman in question. Michiru was sleeping on her side, facing where Haruka stood. 

Today was the first morning since the helicopter crash that Haruka woke up before her. Every night since then, Michiru snuck out of bed sometime between midnight and four AM. Her sudden bout of insomnia was strange, and frustrating because she refused to talk about it. Haruka often found her staring out the window, playing her violin, or painting. Sometimes Michiru would take cold showers, as made evident by the lack of steam clouding the bathroom mirrors. 

Many times, Haruka couldn’t find Michiru at all, to which Michiru often said she went for a walk. Without one of her security guards she was supposed to have with her at all times. 

_“So when do I get to meet this girl? I’ve seen the pictures of you two together. She’s very beautiful. Sad story about her family… What a strange coincidence; two Japanese natives meeting in New York City.”_

Haruka rolled her eyes. She sat down beside Michiru on the bed. Sitting near Michiru intensified the dull ache in her forehead. This frustrating development, in which Michiru’s presence seemed to act as a mystical catalyst for her headaches, was not new. 

Since Rei’s birthday, when Haruka intentionally cut her hand and saw the gold light piercing from her forehead, the headaches were worse. Unrelenting. No matter how much acetaminophen and ibuprofen she took, the headache refused to lighten up. 

It was maddening, to say the least. Stubborn as she was, Haruka tried not to let it interfere with their everyday lives. 

She wasn’t fooling anyone, of course; much less Michiru. Michiru was onto her headaches, just as she had caught onto Michiru’s elusive behavior since the accident. 

Haruka tried concentrating on the conversation at hand. “This is New York City. That isn’t strange at all. There’s people from all over the world living here.”

 _“Don’t avoid the question.”_

Michiru’s eyes fluttered open. Haruka was the first thing she saw, and it brought a smile to her sleepy visage. 

Haruka pointed at her phone and showed Michiru an animated eye roll. “Yes, _Okaa-san._ I have an idea. Michiru and I are moving into a new house soon. Probably June when her semester is finished. After we move in I’ll fly you and _Otou-san_ over. You can stay as long as you’d like.”

_“Oh, Ha-chan. That will make your father and I very happy. He misses you too, you know.”_

“Ha-chan?” Michiru whispered with an affectionate smirk. Haruka grunted.

“Okay then, I’ll let you know soon.”

_“You’d better call me before then. Once a week, at least!”_

“I will. Michiru heard you so I’m not getting off the hook,” Haruka joked. “Anyway, I have to go get ready for work.” 

_“Just one more thing dear!”_

“What is it?” Haruka swallowed a gasp when a wandering hand found the clasp on her Under Armor sports bra. 

_“Your father and I are very proud of you. Coming out as a woman. Especially while having your first public girlfriend. That was very brave. Why’d you decide to do that, after all this time?”_

“Oh…” Haruka shrugged with a grin. “It just felt like the right time.”

After bidding farewell and promising her mother she wouldn’t be a stranger a dozen more times, Haruka ended the call with a sigh. 

“Your poor mother,” Michiru sleepily crooned while her hand rubbed Haruka’s back. The gesture should have been soothing, but it sent Haruka’s head pains reeling. 

“I know. I’ve been an ungrateful child lately.” Haruka rubbed her eyes. “I’ll be sure to call her more often.”

Michiru sighed and nestled her head further into her pillow, not looking very inclined to get up and ready for the day. Haruka felt the electric pull in Michiru’s cerulean gaze. Though part of Haruka didn’t want to, she answered the call; this time with a lingering kiss to Michiru’s forehead. 

The contact intensified Haruka’s headache. 

Michiru knew. She always knew. Haruka could tell by the concern etched in her brow. Sometimes she asked how Haruka was feeling and sometimes she didn’t. Regardless, Haruka knew trying to hide this from her was pointless. She didn’t lie, but she also stopped bringing attention to it. 

“Tell me about her. Your mother. You never speak of your family,” Michiru prompted. She scooted over in the bed, wordlessly inviting Haruka to lay down beside her. 

Haruka laid down on her side, facing Michiru. This position relieved some of the stabbing pain behind her eyeballs. 

“Details about my family life are out there for anyone to look up on the internet. And you did say you did your research before your interview.”

Michiru’s cool fingertips grazed Haruka’s forehead and pushed her bangs back. Haruka closed her eyes. Before, Michiru’s touch was a topical elixir to her pain. Now, for some reason, it usually exacerbated it. 

“I did,” Michiru admitted. “But that was months ago. And I’d rather hear it from you.”

With her eyes closed, Haruka sank into the depths of her subconsciousness. Many memories floated on the surface. The superficial, happy, or mundane memories were simple enough to pluck from the murky quagmire. But the truth of who she was, the foundation of her character founded in trauma and abandonment and her mysterious dreams, were not so accessible. 

“I don’t remember a lot. I was young. A lot of what I know is just what my parents—my adopted parents, I mean—told me when I was older.” Haruka tried once more to find the secluded memories, but her head hurt too much. “All I really remember is hunger.”

“Hunger?” Michiru echoed. 

“Yeah.” Gnawing, crippling, persistent hunger. “I guess my earliest memory is letting the landlord into the house. And I only let him in because I was hungry and thought he’d brought me something to eat. Everything else, my adopted parents filled in for me.”

“Which is?” 

Something about her voice made Haruka open her eyes. Michiru’s face was carnal. Not the carnal lust Haruka had come to expect from her. No, this expression was different. It teetered somewhere between raw fury and possessiveness, and it made Haruka’s skin prickle. 

Michiru could be absolutely frightening when she wanted to be. 

“My mother was an addict. Heroin, I guess. Overdosed and died. So, the landlord came to ask about the rent that was overdue. Like I said, I let him in because I was starving. Imagine his surprise when he found my decaying mother dead on the kitchen floor. I guess the autopsy revealed she’d been dead for three days. My mother didn’t tell me that, by the way… I went digging for information when I got old enough to want to know the truth.”

Michiru looked like she was struggling with her emotions more than Haruka was. The billionaire had come to terms with her past, most of which she had blocked out anyway, except for one detail. 

“It is what it is.” Haruka shrugged. “I was adopted by an amazing couple. I’m very fortunate to have what I have.”

Haruka felt a disturbance beneath the sheets. Michiru cuddled closer into her, resting her head on the same pillow. Haruka inhaled the sea salt aroma from Michiru’s hair. Michiru’s free arm draped around the side of Haruka’s waist. 

“What about you?” Haruka inquired when she realized Michiru wasn’t going to speak. 

“What about me?” Michiru’s voice was strained. Haruka didn’t feel any moisture, but she sounded like she wanted to cry. 

“How was your life before your parents died?”

“About as joyful and privileged as could be. I had my parents. I had Setsuna. I had Varius. I had anything I could ever want. I was home schooled, learning on my own time around my rehearsals and practice schedule. I never asked for much, since all I really wanted to do was play my violin. But if I ever did, someone made sure to provide it for me.”

“So…” Haruka began absently stroking Michiru’s hair. “Did Setsuna live with you or something?”

“No. But she lived close by. I saw her every day. And she was always there. My parents had hectic schedules at times too, so she was almost like a nanny. She drove me to a lot of appointments, babysat me a lot, spoiled me… Things like that.”

“That sounds nice,” Haruka paused, then added, “my parents let me pretend to be a boy my entire life.”

Michiru laughed at the joke, though Haruka got the impression she didn’t want to. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“Your hair is getting long,” Haruka commented as she stroked the silky waves. 

“I suppose we both need a trim.”

“That wasn’t a criticism. Just an observation. I like it like this.” Haruka twirled a lock around her finger. 

“Maybe we should both get a haircut before the grand re-opening event tonight,” Michiru suggested. 

“Good idea. I’ll call Andre. I’m sure he can come over after I’m done work before we go.” Haruka pulled her hand away with a sigh. “I really need to get ready.”

“I’ll come shower with you,” Michiru offered. Haruka suspected it was more of a demand, judging by the tight grip Michiru had on the waistband of her running shorts. 

“Can you keep your hands to yourself? I’m already going to be late for my eight AM meeting.” Haruka raised an eyebrow. She cared more about her headache reaching unmanageable intensity, but Haruka kept that part to herself. For all the concerning and uncharacteristic changes in Michiru’s behavior since the crash, she was still as voracious and insatiable as ever. 

Not that Haruka was complaining, exactly. Headaches aside, Haruka was getting the impression Michiru used sex as a distraction from discussing things like her unusual behavior. 

She hated her own weakness. Haruka couldn’t say no to Michiru, and there was no doubt in her mind the seductress was well aware of, and took advantage of, that fact. 

“I suppose…” Michiru flung the covers back and rose into a sitting position. Haruka tried averting her eyes from the soft, welcoming curves of Michiru’s body. The longer her eyes feasted upon Michiru’s perfection, the harder it would be to spurn the advances she knew were coming—headache be damned. 

Haruka took Michiru’s hand and led her into the conjoined bathroom. Trying not to let her eyes linger on the bathroom sink, fearing the memories of the self-inflicted cut or the symbol emblazoned on her forehead would make things worse, Haruka undressed as Michiru hung their towels and used the toilet. 

After adjusting the water temperature to a lukewarm setting they could both agree on, Haruka got in and waited for Michiru to join her. As beads of water splashed against her back, and Haruka gave herself time to contemplate Michiru’s behavior, she decided it was now or never. 

This discussion was going to happen. Whether Michiru liked it or not. 

When Michiru slipped inside of the shower stall, drowning Haruka in the maddening melancholy that had been their new norm since the accident, Haruka couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Michiru… Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? Ever since the helicopter crash you’ve been… weird. Different. You barely sleep. You look sad almost all the time. Did I upset you or something?”

“No.” Michiru’s gaze fell to the drain between their feet. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Then what’s going on? Why won’t you tell me?” Haruka’s voice was louder and more demanding than she intended. 

“Haruka…” As expected, Michiru’s hands reached toward her. Knowing her plan, as she’d been on the receiving end of this particular distraction method at least a dozen times, Haruka grabbed Michiru’s wrists and held them in place. “I said keep your hands to yourself.”

Shock, followed by a brief glimpse of hurt that made Haruka instantly feel guilty, flashed across Michiru’s eyes. It provided a perverted relief, as Haruka was growing wearisome of the depressing way Michiru looked at her when she thought Haruka didn’t notice, or when Michiru was tired and let her guard down. 

Michiru didn’t pull away. She stood in the water, soaked and miserable, for long, agonizing minutes. Haruka thought Michiru wouldn’t answer at all. That she’d pushed her too hard, too fast, and Michiru would withdraw even further away from her. 

“I’m sorry,” Michiru began. Her voice, while subdued and quiet, was musical. “I haven’t treated you well. I’ve been dishonest with my feelings, and not hiding them as well as I thought.”

A lump rose in Haruka’s throat. She prepared herself for the worst. Had Michiru changed her mind? Did she not want to move into their new home together? Was this lifestyle, and the constant pressure from the paparazzi, too overwhelming? Was she not as in love as she previously claimed to be?

Haruka knew, in a heartbeat, she would give it all up if Michiru asked. All she ever wanted was the goddess standing before her. If Michiru gave any indication she had no desire to live as a billionaire, semi-celebrity’s trophy girlfriend, Haruka would sell everything, donate the money to charities, and live as a pauper… As long as she could have the goddess from her dreams beside her. 

If there was something else disturbing Michiru, plaguing her with doubt over the depth and intensity of Haruka’s commitment to her, she would do everything in her power to prove her love. 

Before Haruka could give voice to her thoughts, Michiru continued, “the day you pulled me out of the swimming pool and saved me. I pushed you away. I didn’t want to feel helpless, so I tried refusing you when all you wanted was to show me how concerned you were. The day of the helicopter crash, I…” Michiru chewed on her bottom lip. “I realized, when I thought I was losing you, exactly how much I love you. I mean, I was ready to lay down and die beside you.”

Haruka blinked. An affirmation of love was the opposite of what she was expecting to hear. Struggling to find words, she watched moisture accumulate on Michiru’s unblinking eyelashes.

“A few months ago I thought I was broken and unlovable. I’d slept with so many people, carelessly giving away the best part of me that I should have been saving. Coming to terms with my feelings for you has been a frightening process. I saw you die, and I can’t get it out of my head… I’m sorry if I’ve been distant because of it.”

Unable to find words matching the gravity of Michiru’s confession, Haruka enveloped her into her arms. Michiru rested her head on Haruka’s chest. Steam clouded the stall, heavier than the unspoken words lingering between them. 

“You should have said something sooner… I thought—" Haruka shook her head. Giving voice to those thoughts would only make Michiru feel worse. “I just want you, Michiru. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“More than I know?”

Her grip around Haruka’s waist tightened. “More than you know.”

This time, Haruka could have sworn she felt two hot tears trickling down her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haruka's background is another nod to 50 Shades; it is very similar to Christan Grey's.


	30. Duplicity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru’s lies catch up to her.

**♆**

_“This is an instrument? It looks like a desk,” she observes with a smirk._

_I grab her hand, leading her towards the piano, not letting her skepticism taint my excitement. “It’s called a piano. My violin is an Earth instrument, so I selected another Earth instrument for you.”_

_“That I sit at?” Uranus gestures towards the bench. It’s dark and lacquered, polished from Earth wood. The grand piano is fashioned from the same material. It is a handsome, regal instrument, and I know she will compliment it perfectly._

_I understand her reluctance, however. She is Uranus; tornado, torrent, an enigma of constant motion. Asking her to sit still for prolonged periods of time makes it seem like I don’t understand her base nature at all. But I know every inch of her mind and body._

_And I have a plan._

_“Yes. You sit here. There are pedals for your feet down here.” I pull the bench back to show her. Then I fold back the cover, revealing a row of ivory keys. “The real dancing happens here.”_

_Her stormy eyes widen, probably wondering how she will cover the expanse of these notes with only ten fingers. “Hmm. I admit, it does appear to be an interesting challenge.”_

_“Here, come sit with me.” I slide onto the bench, patting the empty space beside me._

_Her eyebrow arches as she ponders what seductive plan I’m concocting. She isn’t too far off target, but I’m certainly not revealing my plan until the time of execution._

_Uranus walks around the bench, opposite where I’m sitting, and makes herself as comfortable as possible. She’s wearing a casual outfit of navy blue leather pants and a loose-fitting, layered silk top. The obsidian pin I gave her after our first night together is against her left breast, standing out against her white shirt. I find myself distracted, too easily, at her striking figure and the tendons in her hands flexing while she tests the keys._

_“Here is what is called ‘Middle C,’” I slip a hand between hers and hit the corresponding note. “Right in the center.”_

_Her hands test each note one at a time, committing their pitch to memory. “How did you get this burdensome thing from Earth here?”_

_“There’s no shortage of transportation agencies willing to assist Neptune’s princess. Especially with the amount of currency I offered. The person I acquired this from knows of a tutor who would be available to come to Uranus and teach you, if you’d like.”_

_“Teach me?” Uranus scoffs. “If you taught yourself the violin, I can teach myself the piano! How hard can it be?”_

_I knew she would say that. I suppress my laughter, not wanting her to think I don’t find her up to the challenge. Her combative nature, in conjunction with her desire to please me, all but ensure she will be well on her way by the time we next meet._

_“Then I expect you to have a firm grasp on this instrument the next time we meet.”_

_“Like you currently have on my arm?” She casts a pointed glance down at my hand, circled tight around her bicep._

_“Apologies.” I begin to retract my hand, but she clasps it with her own._

_“Don’t ever apologize for touching me.” The earnest, serious tone is a stark contrast to the carefree, often shy demeanor she demonstrates with me. She bows her head to kiss my forehead. “There will never be a time when I will not want your touch. I crave it whenever we are apart. Which is more often than I feel I can bare most times.”_

_“Oh my,” I respond coyly in an attempt to conceal the fluttering of my heart. “Is this a dose of the Uranian flirting I’ve heard so much about?”_

_“It isn’t considered flirting when it’s genuine.” Her hand moves in favor of brushing curls from my face. There is a mischievous glint in her eyes I’ve never seen before. “How sturdy did you say this thing is?”_

_“Very.” My purr ascends into a surprised squeal when she unexpectedly lifts me up and props my bottom on top of the piano. The keys create a cringing cacophony of noise when my bare feet land on them._

_“So this isn’t flirting?” I ask as she fits herself between my thighs._

_“This is me thanking you for the gift,” her husky voice whispers. Her head dips to my exposed thighs, bare save for the turquoise dress sinking between my spread legs._

_I lean back, propping my upper body by my elbows. Her hot breath against my thighs turns me weightless. I’m floating in her clouds, carried away by the gusts of ecstasy only the Scion of the Skies can provide._

_“You were right,” she whispers into my center. “We are the perfect storm.”_

**♆**

“Michiru, we’re here.”

Michiru blinked her eyes open, realizing she had dozed off on Haruka’s shoulder in the backseat of the car. Annoyed with herself for dropping her guard and falling asleep, she groaned and sat up.

“Party too hard at the re-opening ceremony?” Joshua jokes from the driver’s seat. He grinned at the couple through the rearview mirror. 

“Yeah. Real wild party,” Haruka sarcastically replied. Though they were home and staying in the rest of the evening, Michiru began fixing her hair and smoothing her dress. 

“I like your haircut,” Haruka said while watching Michiru adjust her freshly trimmed locks. 

“And I, yours.” Michiru reached out to touch Haruka’s bangs. The blonde skirted around the affectionate gesture. She leaned across Michiru to open her door. 

The slight did not go unnoticed to the Deep Sea Guardian. Michiru knew why, of course; her touch caused Haruka nothing but pain. The most natural thing in her world, her driven instinct to be close to her soulmate, had been taken from her too. 

Trying to keep her misery locked away, Michiru looked at Joshua. His gaze lingered on Haruka. 

“Hey, Boss.” 

Haruka paused as she was exiting the vehicle. “Yeah?”

“With all this crazy shit going on lately… I mean, I know something’s going on. And if you don’t wanna tell me, it’s fine. I just… I gotta do my job, ya know?” 

Michiru felt pity for the young man. He had no clue what he was getting himself into. Joshua had no inkling as to the severity of what was at stake, and how impotent his martial arts and firearms would be in the face of alien magic. She would have sent him, Prescott and Turner away when Haruka first hired them if she could. 

“Are you saying you’re unsatisfied with your need-to-know status?” Haruka arched an eyebrow. 

“I’m saying that I’ve got your back, no matter what. You’re the best boss I’ve ever had. Even if you don’t like TexMex and you’ve had shitty taste in women… until now, I mean.” 

Michiru returned Joshua’s wink with a subtle smirk of her own. She couldn’t help but like and respect the man; he had protected Haruka and provided her with a sense of comraderie before she came along. And, though Michiru knew he was paid handsomely for his troubles, she had a feeling he would always help Haruka, regardless. 

“Thanks.” The gratitude on Haruka’s face melted Michiru’s concerns away for a brief second. “Maybe someday I can fill you in on all the details. In the meantime, go home. Turner’s here so Prescott is leaving too.”

“Ten-four!” The head of security gave a mock salute while the couple exited the vehicle. 

Michiru held her purse tight to her body as she watched Haruka exit the car behind her. The slight frown and tightness in her brow told Michiru the headaches persisted. Haruka had stopped complaining about them, for the most part. Since Rei’s birthday, Michiru noticed she had been functioning in a general haze, often zoning out of conversations and becoming alarmingly absent minded for a CEO overseeing several multi-million dollar companies. 

Michiru did everything in her power to make Haruka comfortable and safe. The Dromedons had been mercifully, if not suspiciously, quiet. 

But the constant rumbling of the sea reminded Michiru of the ongoing fight for survival happening in deep space. There could be no rest. 

Michiru put all of her effort into being the flirtatious, energetic college student this Haruka knew. She plastered on the personality Haruka expected, living yet another lie she never thought she’d have to suffer through again. 

Lying to the world was one thing. Lying to the person who she once shared everything with, who knew her better than she knew herself, who rushed headlong into battle beside her too many times to count, created a constant pain that resonated deep within her starseed. 

“Going to bed?” Michiru asked as they removed their coats in the foyer. 

“Me? You’re the one who fell asleep in the car,” Haruka teased as she took Michiru’s coat and hung it. “Anyway, I can’t yet. I’ve got a conference call in ten minutes. It’s with… I don’t remember. Anyway, I’ll just take it in my office.”

“I’ll go practice,” Michiru decided. Even if she could sleep, or wanted to sleep, she wouldn’t allow herself the luxury. She needed to be awake and alert. Sailor Neptune was not one to be lulled into a false sense of security. “Come play with me after?”

Haruka rubbed her sunken, stressed eyes and smiled. “Of course.”

Michiru leaned into Haruka’s tall form, seeking the reassurance of her familiar body, one of the few things about Haruka that remained unchanged in this lifetime. The unspoken strain on their relationship since Neptune’s awakening hung in the air and on her lips. Michiru rest her head against Haruka’s chest, feeling her strong heartbeat. This was the heart and warmth of a warrior. Not a white collar businessman. 

Just when she had to remind herself for the hundredth time that day not to touch Haruka, their embrace was interrupted. 

“I’m leaving for the day—Am I interrupting anything?” Haruka’s personal chef paused after entering from the kitchen and noticing the two embracing in the entryway. 

“Good night, Angela.” Haruka turned and slightly bowed to the cook. Michiru bowed with a polite smile.

“I’ve restocked the ice cream. With more than just vanilla. As per your request, Ms. Kaiou.” Angela cast Michiru a sly grin, which did not go unnoticed to Haruka. 

“What did you tell her? You know what? I don’t want to know.” Haruka scratched the back of her neck. 

_“Ara…”_ Michiru smiled. Her partner’s embarrassment at the thought of her sharing the vanilla ice cream story was too endearing. “Why so red, Ruka?”

The nickname turned Haruka’s face a deeper shade of crimson. Angela laughed while putting on her coat. “Listen. You haven’t been meeting your protein goals the last couple of weeks. So I made sure there’s more than enough prepared chicken breast in the fridge. Just the way you like it. So eat them.” Angela turned her attention to Michiru. “Make sure she eats them.”

“I just haven’t had much of an appetite lately,” Haruka grumbled over the scrutiny. 

Angela rolled her eyes. “Then drink those stupidly expensive protein drinks you make me buy! You’ve only had two in two weeks!”

“I don’t need two more mothers.” Haruka cast pointed glances at Angela and Michiru. Her pout was too attractive; Michiru forced herself not to get on her toes and plant a kiss on Haruka’s cheek. 

“Hey.” Angela shrugged. “You hired me to be your chef and personal nutritionist. Just doing my job. Have a good weekend!” She turned with a wave and left through the front entrance. 

“I’m leaving too. I’ll walk you out,” Prescott said while meeting her on the other side of the door. Satisfied Angela was being escorted to her vehicle, Haruka and Michiru simultaneously turned toward each other.

“I shouldn’t be more than an hour.” Haruka reached out to cup Michiru’s cheek. Michiru barely felt the heat of Haruka’s skin against hers before Haruka grimaced and pulled away. 

Michiru watched her leave, cell phone in one hand and forehead in the other. Haruka’s incessant headaches were troublesome. If Setsuna was correct, it meant she was on the verge of awakening, but was being held back for reasons they had yet to discern. 

Haruka was suffering. It was plain to see. Being unable to do anything to alleviate her pain was maddening. 

Even their touch, a subconscious reminder of Uranus’ true destiny, was causing Haruka pain. 

Michiru walked into the music room. Before tending to Marina Cathedral, she set her purse down on the piano bench and checked its contents. 

She removed her cell phone. Hiding beneath the items one would expect to find in a young woman’s purse were the syringes Setsuna gave her. The only true line of defense against the Dromedons.

Michiru checked the messages on her phone. The first was a lengthy message from Hotaru. 

_I hope you and Haruka-papa are doing well. Setsuna-mama said I better check in with you every day. Miss you!_

Michiru closed her eyes, imagining Hotaru’s fine raven hair and round, amethyst eyes. They had been infinitely sad and distant when they first met, a lifetime ago when her father was possessed by the Death Busters. 

Upon her rebirth, and after being raised by the other three Outer Senshi, joy and purpose replaced her sadness. There was no erasing the depth and frightening power she harbored as Sailor Saturn, but now it was tempered with humanity. 

_I miss you too, Firefly._

Michiru could not bring herself to mention Haruka. Her own conflicting emotions regarding Uranus’ awakening aside, she did not want to give Hotaru any false impressions. 

_Stay safe._

There was another text from Usagi. No matter what she was doing or where she was hiding, the princess made sure to text Michiru every day. Sometimes the messages were short. Sometimes they were long. But they always had typos. 

_Hey Michiru hope ur takin care of our favorite stuborn soldier! Ur always welcome to call me if u want! ;)_

The text brought a slight smile to Michiru’s lips. She had yet to take Usagi up on her proposal, but that hadn’t stopped the princess from offering. 

An overwhelming sense of hopelessness swelled inside her chest. It was unbidden, and certainly unwelcome. Michiru opened her private text conversation with Setsuna. 

Their last conversation had been about the day Haruka purchased the house. Setsuna and Rei had chased the Dromedon into a secluded alley before transforming, and ultimately, destroying her. They’d never discovered who was in the other vehicle. 

Reading their last texts, and trying to force herself on the enemy threat, did not erase her depression. In fact, reminiscing on everything from Haruka’s sweet gesture of buying them a house, to her jealousy, to the sex in her teal car… 

Michiru was miserable. Truly, absolutely, miserable. 

Before giving her actions more thought, she began composing a message. 

_I can’t do this anymore. I touch her and she pulls away. She’s in constant pain and I can’t fix it. Every day she hurts more and my resolution wanes. I’m nothing without Uranus. I never thought I could lose my confidence or self worth but this helplessness is killing me from the inside. My crystal is dull and I don’t know how much longer I can fake this. What do I do, Setsuna?_

Michiru stopped her thumbs. She read her cry for help. Her vulnerability, her indecisiveness. They disgusted her. 

She would never send the message. What would be the point? Michiru wouldn’t be telling the Time Guardian anything she didn’t already know. 

And besides. Deep down, Michiru knew she would never give up this mission. No one else could watch over and protect Haruka. This was her calling, no matter what lifetime she was in. The selfish part of her wanted Haruka beside her; no matter the circumstances. 

Even if Michiru could never touch her again. Haruka would always be the only match for her. 

With a sigh, Michiru deleted all evidence of her therapeutic exercise. She put her cell phone away and turned to her favorite inanimate companion. 

Marine Cathedral was calling out to her. Michiru reverently pulled the ancient instrument from its home. The aromatic polish and smooth surface called her home to Neptune, the day her shy lover first gifted her with this amazing violin. From the first time she held Marine Cathedral, she knew it was more than just a violin. 

Marine Cathedral was an extension of her very soul. A gift so precious, it could only come from the woman who she belonged to; entirely, unequivocally, from the very core of her starseed. 

Becoming one with Marine Cathedral was Michiru’s only method of release. The thrum of its strings and its weight against her shoulder brought with them the escape she needed. 

The notes did not lie. Michiru poured every concern, insecurity, and memory she was forced to suppress into her song. The irony, in that her cathartic musical therapy was an escape from the unfortunate reality she shared with Uranus, who gave her Marine Cathedral, was not lost on her. 

Michiru’s song echoed through the house. Her sentience merged with the music, rising and falling with Marine Cathedral’s sorrowful notes extending her story to anyone who cared to hear. 

Engrossed in her song, Michiru almost did not feel the disturbance. Waves crashed and churned in her heart, signifying an unwelcome presence. 

And it was close. 

Michiru abruptly stopped playing. The note screeched to a halt. She set Marine Cathedral and the bow into the case quietly, listening for any commotion inside the building. Foreboding silence penetrated the entire house in the absence of her music. 

Then came the disruption she was waiting for. 

“What the fuck?!” Turner’s voice shouted from an unknown location. Two suppressed pops followed in quick succession. 

Adrenaline and apprehension coiled in Michiru’s gut, creating a sinking feeling she refused to indulge. She yanked a loaded syringe from her purse and dashed toward Turner’s voice, praying Haruka hadn’t been caught in the crossfire. 

“Stay back! Stay back or the next bullet’s going in your chest!” 

The threat was succeeded by an airy, sarcastic laugh. A laugh Michiru had not heard in many, many years. 

The new enemy’s laughter spurred Michiru onward. She followed Turner’s voice, sprinting until she located the source. 

The bodyguard was backed into the corner of the formal dining room. The long, rectangular dining table, able to comfortably seat twelve people, filled the center of the room. The candelabra on its center provided the only light source. Michiru could see Turner’s glistening bald head in the darkness. She smelled the gunfire. 

Michiru’s eyes widened when she took in the sight of the antagonist. Floating above the flickering candelabra flames was the most powerful Death Buster of them all. 

The spectre from her past trilled and twirled in an ebony and sapphire swirl. Her single, long pigtail flung in a circle around her as she laid eyes on Michiru. 

The floating enemy pointed her golden staff at Michiru. The obsidian gem embedded in its head sparkled while she laughed. “You’re just in time! I was getting lonely, so I decided to summon my twin!”

Michiru’s jaw clenched. This Cyprine imitation couldn’t possibly have the original’s cloning power as well. 

Or could she?

Either way, Michiru wasn’t about to try calling her bluff. “Leave Turner alone!”

“Watch and I’ll show you…” Her cerulean eyes crinkled before she turned her attention back to the lone security guard. 

“This is your last warning!” Turner cocked his pistol. 

Cyprine flourished her weapon, swinging it in a wide arc around her. Magical blue ribbons sliced through the air, knocking his gun out of his hands and slicing apart the fabric of his suit. 

“Run!” Michiru ordered. She used a chair to vault over the table, hoping to get between the two. Her civilian form was too slow. 

Cyprine was on Turner in a flash. “Ribbon Buster!”

Circular blue ribbons spun around him, trapping him in place. Michiru sprinted across the top of the table, trying to reach Turner in time. He was groaning in pain, unsuccessfully thrashing against the restraints. 

“Come to me, Ptilol!” 

Michiru’s mouth froze agape, in horrified fascination, when she realized what the Dromedon was planning. Cyprine reached into the round bun on the side of her head, and extracted a small, black slug. 

Shivers danced up Michiru’s spine as she recalled the first time she had laid eyes upon one of the slimy, aggressive creatures in Setsuna’s room. 

Unable to combat his magical restraints, Turner was left with no escape. His screams of protest turned into muffled cries of agony as he choked on the alien slug. 

“No!” Michiru pounced toward Cyprine. Without so much as looking in Michiru’s direction, Cyprine swung the staff at her. Malevolent energy poured from its tip and knocked Michiru clear across the room. She collided with the wall and crumpled to the floor. 

Wincing, Michiru turned her gaze to Turner. He was bent over, gagging on the leech forcefully inserted into his body. 

“Double the enemies means double the memories!” Cyprine chortled. She released the swirling blue magic containing the bodyguard.

Turner’s body convulsed. Once. Twice. 

Then, in a sickening cacophony of morphing skin and cracking bones, he became someone else entirely. 

Cyprine’s crimson twin, Ptilol, completely consumed him. 

Michiru pulled her transformation stick from her pocket. Neptune’s power surged from the lip rod, beckoning her to summon it. Remembering Rei and Setsuna’s dark confession, Michiru mentally prepared herself for what was to come. 

Turner, and the unfortunate person who Cyprine now controlled, were dead. The Dromedons had already killed them. What she was about to do would be an act of mercy. 

Michiru held her lip rod above her head and called upon her home planet’s energy once more. 

“Neptune Crystal Power… Make-Up!”

Michiru’s body became awashed in the powers of the Deep Seas. With the force of an imploding tsunami, her human form transformed into Sailor Neptune; elegant princess of the deep seas. 

Transformation complete, Sailor Neptune pointed at the troublesome duo. "Guarded by Neptune, planet of the deep blue sea. I'm the soldier of affinity, Sailor--”

“M-Michiru? Cyprine?”

Sailor Neptune turned behind her. 

Leaning against the doorframe, wide-eyed and bewildered, was Haruka. 

Less than a second. 

Shorter than a blink. 

Haruka’s confusion transformed into utter dejection and betrayal. Her stormy eyes narrowed, taking in the sight of Sailor Neptune for the first time, trying to reconcile what she was seeing with the college student she thought she knew. 

The anger. The disappointment. The betrayal. 

Michiru’s heart stopped, and she didn’t know if she could find the strength to continue. 

“Ahahahaha!” The twins’ simultaneous laughter interrupted the moment. 

“Well, if it isn’t the guest of honor!” Cyprine howled. 

“Sort of!” Ptilol completed the thought for her other half. 

The pair raised their staves towards the ceiling. Icy bursts of air, speckled with hard motes of hail, circled their weapons. Michiru knew she had limited time to either interrupt their conjuring or run to block Haruka. 

Neptune looked down to her hand. She only had one syringe. There were more in her purse, but that was on the other side of the house. 

Propelled by her mission, to protect Haruka at all costs, Neptune committed to her plan. As the twins’ hailstorm rapidly filled the room with frostbiting wind and chill, Neptune ran across the top of the table, barely outrunning the storm. Struggling to keep her eyes from Haurka’s and risk losing her nerve, she landed before her and extended both of her hands toward the hailstorm. 

“Deep Aqua Mirror!”

The magical mirror assumed its corporeal form in her hands. A turquoise barrier spread from the talisman, providing temporary safety from the frigid blast. Michiru’s hair floated about her face, making it difficult to see. 

“M-Michiru… Ahh!” Haruka cried out from behind her. 

Neptune spared a glance at Haruka. Between the twirling tendrils of her hair, she detected Haruka’s slumped form on the floor. Her white dress shirt was drenched in sweat. Haruka was heaving, clutching her forehead and shaking her head. 

Haruka was suffering. Michiru did not have a good enough angle to see if her forehead was glowing. There was no time to nurse Haruka. Now that she was here, the Dromedons would be focusing their energies entirely on her. 

Neptune needed to stab at least one of them with the serum. Fast. 

“Get out of the way!” Cyprine whined. 

“We just want to play with her!” Ptilol chirped. 

The Death Busters released the hailstorm. A vacuum enveloped the winter anomaly in a blink, turning the room unnervingly silent for a split second. 

Neptune decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She raised her arms above her head and called upon the awesome powers of the sea. 

“Deep… Submerge!” Sailor Neptune posed between cascading waterfalls, bearing the weight of Neptune’s wrath in a sphere above her head. She projected the watery attack toward her opponents. 

The dining room became submerged in the chilling depths of the sea. Cyprine and Ptilol crashed against the opposite wall. The pair were stuck against the relentless stream of water pressing them into the wall. Michiru could hear Haruka sputtering behind her, but she didn’t dare to look.

Grasping the syringe in her free hand, Michiru flew towards them. She readied to strike before they could recover, but she was not fast enough. 

“Enough!” Cyprine, the first to recover, swung her golden staff at Neptune. The force knocked her backwards, causing her to lose the syringe in the ankle-deep water. Cyprine narrowed her eyes in concentration, forming restraining magical ribbons around Neptune’s body. 

“No!” Michiru struggled, remembering Turner’s unhappy fate. Hoping her Senshi form was strong enough to combat the alien magic, she struggled. 

Her fight proved to be as fruitless as Turner’s, but she could not let her determination falter. 

“Let me play with the other one!” Ptilol cheered with youthful abandon. She splashed through the shallow waters towards Haruka. 

“Leave… Haruka… alone!” Michiru grunted, pushing as hard as she could against the pain. 

Haruka was bent in the water. She had managed to inch her way closer to the battlefield. There was no golden light pouring from her forehead. Michiru was not sure if she should be relieved or infinitely frustrated that Uranus still refused to come to her aid. 

Ptilol tilted Haruka’s chin toward her with the tip of her staff. The obsidian gem winked at the contact. “Come on, Uranus… I know you’re in there.” 

Haruka growled in a low and dangerous register. Michiru could see the pain she was stubbornly concealing behind her eyes. “I don’t know… what you’re talking about.”

Ptilol giggled. “Your headaches suggest otherwise, stubborn fool.” 

“Don’t think we won’t hesitate to torture it out of you. Through her, of course.” Having Neptune at her mercy, Cyprine tightened the magical hold on her. “Ribbon Buster!”

Oh, how the magic pained her. Stinging agony lanced her thighs, her arms, her chest. A circular pattern of magical infliction assaulted her. 

Neptune tried to be strong, for Haruka’s sake. Haruka didn’t know they were bluffing. Haruka didn’t know they wanted her awakened, and sacrificing Neptune would not fulfill whatever their nefarious purpose was. 

But Neptune could only contain her suffering for so long. She eventually cried out, filling the room with the truth of her mental and physical anguish. 

“More! You awakened protecting Haruka, it’s gotta work the other way around!” Cyprine increased the velocity and speed, sending the slicing ribbons of death around Neptune’s body harder and faster. 

Ptilol leaned down and grabbed Haruka’s chin. “Come on, Uranus… You can’t stand to watch your lover suffer any longer, can you?”

Neptune didn’t dare look at Haruka. She couldn’t stand the risk of witnessing the anger and disdain on Haruka’s features meant for her. No matter the lifetime, Haruka had never taken lies and betrayal well. 

Michiru cried out in agony, trying to formulate a plan despite the hopelessness of the situation. 

“Mars Snake Fire!” 

The sole window in the room exploded. Mars’ burning flames burst through the window, sending shards of glass across the room. Michiru winced, but was relieved when the magic ribbons containing her disappeared. She crumpled to the floor, finding that her water had evaporated against the heat of Rei’s attack. 

Chaos ensued. The twins momentarily cowered against the blistering flames licking at their bodies. Neptune struggled to her feet, watching in surprise as Haruka rushed across the room. Sparkling blue liquid, clutched in Haruka’s fist, reflected in the light of the flames. Michiru’s eyes widened when she realized Haruka had fished the syringe out of the water after she dropped it. 

Even if Haruka had somehow guessed Michiru’s intentions for the serum, she couldn’t have Haruka risking her life. “Haruka!”

As Mars and Pluto appeared on the scene through the hole Mars’ attack created, Haruka pounced on Cyprine and drove the syringe into Cyprine’s back. 

The camouflaged Dromedon howled in pain. She thrashed about, trying to throw Haruka from her back, all the while dancing around the flames licking at her calves.

Neptune turned toward Ptilol, who was still recovering from the unexpected fire ambush. She looked to her fellow Senshi, who had already put a silent plan into motion. Similar to the morning of the helicopter crash, Mars and Pluto worked in sync to paralyze the creatures. Setsuna rushed towards Ptilol, garnet rod in one hand and needle in the other. Mars brandished two ofuda and began chanting. 

Knowing Pluto would handle Ptilol, Neptune ran to Haruka’s aid. Cyprine was growling in frustration while struggling to throw Haruka from her back. One of Haruka’s hands reached up and cupped her forehead, clamping over the swirling starburst symbol. It emitted a bright burst of magic, injuring Haruka’s hand and finally loosening her from Cyprine’s back. 

Neptune flew in time to catch Haruka before she collided with the floor. 

“Evil Spirits, Begone!” Mars flung both ofuda at the enemies, momentarily stunning them. 

Neptune assumed they would have slain the enemies right then. Instead, each Senshi collected a twin in their arms and sprinted toward the burning exit hole. Either they wanted to spare Haruka from seeing the security guard she hired being slaughtered, or they’d spontaneously decided to try interrogating the Dromedons in Setsuna’s lab. 

Mars flew from the building with Ptilol in her arms without hesitation. Pluto, however, paused long enough to cast Michiru a sojourn, pitiful glance before catapulting into the night sky. 

Haruka collected her wits in record time. She pushed herself away from Michiru, who had still been protectively holding Haruka against her. The billionaire stumbled over a broken chair. She didn’t let the blunder steal her thunder. 

Michiru felt explosive rage replacing the addictive electricity they used to share. 

“You’re one of them?” Haruka asked as if she still couldn’t believe it to be true. Michiru swallowed, taking time to consider her answer. “I can’t believe you! I… You’ve been lying to me this entire time?”

The only thing suppressing Haruka’s anger was her pain. Michiru saw the dull glow beneath her skin. The wincing and grunting as Haruka tried raising her voice. Haruka was suffering, and until she awakened there was nothing Michiru could do for her. 

Now, Michiru suspected Haruka wouldn’t let her close enough to try. 

The storms in Haruka’s eyes were solely for her. Utter contempt. Michiru’s throat and chest tightened. She reached out for her lover of lifetimes, praying for a divine intervention to enlighten her. “Haruka, I--”

Haruka recoiled from her touch. 

She may as well have stabbed Michiru in the heart. 

“Don’t fucking touch me! I knew you’ve been acting weird since the helicopter crash, but… this?” Haruka gestured to Neptune’s uniform, squinting her eyes against the pain Michiru knew was blossoming in her skull. “You’ve been lying to me all this time! Then you tell me you love me?”

But I do… More than you know.

Michiru knew this was their pivotal moment. Whatever she said now would change the course of their entire relationship. In her heart, she knew she had to tell Haruka the truth. If there was any hope of repairing this damage, of teaching Haruka to trust her once more, she had to confess everything. 

Michiru didn’t forget the risk. Pushing Haruka even further could put her in a coma. Or worse. But what other options did she have?

And if the others didn’t approve? If Setsuna, or even Usagi, found it in themselves to judge or berate her, she didn’t care. 

Michiru could live without them. But she couldn’t live without Haruka. 

“Haruka, you’re hurt. Please, let me help you. I’ll tell you everything.” 

Michiru’s plea fell on deaf ears. Haruka’s face twisted into pure malice. 

Michiru knew that look. It meant if she had her powers, Haruka would have struck her down right then. 

“I have no interest in anything you have to say.” 

Haruka turned toward the exit in a flash, stumbling as if she had made herself dizzy. Michiru’s heart sank. 

Haruka didn’t want anything to do with her. That much was obvious. But she looked to be on the verge of passing out, and Michiru couldn’t leave her alone. 

“Then let me help you to bed. Your headaches… They’ve been worse, haven’t they?”

“Worse when I’m with you,” Haruka growled in response. “Another reason I should stay the hell away from you.”

Despair turned Michiru into a statue. Tears blurred her vision. She could barely see Haruka as the blonde stormed out of the room with more fury than a hurricane. 

Every embrace. Every kiss tattooed on her body by Haruka’s lips. Every toe-curling whisper in the dark. 

The ecstasy of their love paled in the wake of Haruka’s righteous anger. 

Michiru’s knees gave out. She collapsed on the floor. Her transformation withered as the crystal within her dimmed. Teal strips of magic embraced her in a futile attempt to comfort her. 

Michiru held the Deep Aqua mirror in her lap. Void of energy and purpose, she stared at the blank mirror. Michiru could not summon the will to gaze upon Haruka’s face. 

What would be the point? 

Haruka didn’t want her. These weeks of lies and deceit had been for naught. 

As far as Michiru was concerned, the Dromedons had already won. 

“I’m sorry, Uranus… I can’t keep our promise without you.”


	31. The Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While sorting through her feelings, Haruka receives an unexpected phone call...

**♅**

Haruka drove. 

She pushed her Harley to the limits; riding its maximum speed for hours. Haruka didn’t care if every cop in the county chased her or if her gas tank ran out or if she got lost. She needed the wind to carry her to faraway shores where the confusion and the pain and the betrayal were nothing but distant memories. 

No. Not distant memories. Non-existent hallucinations of a mad person. 

Driving as if the speed and distance could erase it all was futile. There was a time when speed and wind could consume her. Haruka could become one with the wind, soaring to her heart’s content and temporarily forgetting the troubles of this world. 

That level of obliviousness and escape was lost to her now. No matter how hard she pushed her motorcycle and how far away she drove, Haruka could not stop her mind from repeating what she’d seen, wrenching her heart all over again. 

_“Neptune Crystal Power… Make-Up!”_

For a few brief seconds, Michiru’s body had become something else entirely. Something magical, ethereal, and not entirely human. Flesh gave way to sparkling, iridescent aquamarine light. Then, Michiru was one of them: the magical female fighters wearing short skirts and large bows. 

Neptune. Michiru was the Neptune of her dreams. She hadn’t called herself Neptune before she changed… It sounded more like she was calling upon the power of the planet, ludicrous as it sounded to Haruka’s inner musings. While the Neptune in her dreams had never worn an outfit like that, Haruka felt she had to be one in the same. 

And Michiru had lied about it. She knew exactly what was going on. She’d known all the while and played Haruka for the desperate, lovestruck fool she was. 

After reviewing the information in her head dozens of times, Haruka still couldn’t figure out why. Why would Michiru lie? What was the bigger piece of this puzzle that Haruka wasn’t grasping? 

And what did Mimete and Cyprine have to do it with it all? 

When Haruka’s frazzled, bitter mind was done torturing her with thoughts of Michiru for a moment, she thought about Cyprine. Cyprine had been a former submissive of hers, almost two years ago. There was nothing extraordinary about her; definitely nothing that would have warned Haruka she was capable of doing the things she had seen today. Then again, nothing about Mimete had tipped her off, either. 

How many years had Haruka blindly lived amongst these bizarre, otherworldly beings? How could she have the most resources in the world, yet be so incredibly ignorant and stupid? 

There probably wasn’t any hope of learning the truth from Michiru now. As time and miles quelled Haruka’s temper, she realized she handled that poorly in the heat of the moment. 

Yes, she was mad. Still. How could she not be? Haruka trusted Michiru completely. She gave her everything. She trusted her. 

Haruka loved her enough to throw caution to the wind. She surrendered herself completely. Mentally, physically, spiritually. She belonged to Michiru, whether her anger would allow her to admit it or not. The link they shared, as surreal as it felt most times, was undeniably real. Haruka couldn’t figure out why Michiru would deceive her like this. This was a deception of epic, unfathomable proportions. 

Hot-headed as she felt, the CEO didn’t know if she had it in her to forgive Michiru. If she did, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. 

The only useful conclusion she was able to draw during her hours-long bike ride, was that both of her submissives who attacked Michiru had a common link: Kaori. And Haruka was going to find her.

Fast wind and open roads only suppressed her unending headache for so long. As the headache intensified, her vision became dangerously blurred. Twilight had descended and the night air was chilly. Haruka decided she should pull over and at least get a drink. 

The first establishment she came upon was a greasy-spoon diner. With a groan of pain, she parked her bike, secured it, and stumbled into the restaurant. Haruka slumped into the first empty booth she could find. Elbows resting on the table, she stared into her palms. 

Her hands were fully healed now, but the searing pain shooting through them when they were pressed against Cyprine’s forehead was fresh in her mind. Now that she was trying not to brood over Michiru, she remembered, in brief, scattered visions, what happened. 

Haruka grabbed Cyprine’s forehead when she straddled her back. The symbol on Cyprine’s forehead burned her hand. While Cyprine screamed and tried throwing her off, Haruka saw… things. Outer space. Strange creatures. Sounds, like another language, resonated inside her mind. Something was subconsciously reaching out to her, but Haruka couldn’t decipher any of it amidst her confusion and anger. 

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. 

“What can I get you, sir?” a middle-aged waitress asked. Haruka forced herself to an upright position. There was no flash of recognition on the older woman’s round face, telling Haruka she probably didn’t recognize her. That, or Haruka’s head hurt so much she failed to notice. 

“Oh. Um, I’m sorry—Miss,” the waitress corrected herself, seeming embarrassed by her blunder. 

Haruka looked down at her chest. She left in a hurry without grabbing a jacket, and her dress shirt clung to her body thanks to the bizarre water phenomenon that happened in her dining room. It didn’t help that her bra was a shade darker than her wet and transparent shirt.

“Don’t worry about it,” Haruka grumbled. 

For the first time since driving off, Haruka realized she was cold. She should order coffee. But coffee is what they drank on their first date, and Haruka didn’t want any reminders of the seductive gaze Michiru had cast over her steaming latte that morning. 

Tea, then. 

No, that wouldn’t work. They drank tea together at Deep Sea Sashimi the evening of the helicopter accident; the first time Haruka noticed Michiru’s aloof, strange behavior. 

“I’ll just have water.” Haruka made no attempt to hide her miserable mood. She closed her eyes. 

The cold trickle of water down the side of her face. Michiru’s lilting tease after Haruka took off her mask. The day Haruka surrendered herself to Michiru completely. The intense, otherworldly lovemaking...

The waterfalls and pools of water Neptune made love to her in… She, Michiru, Neptune… she was the physical embodiment of water. 

Haruka could never drink water again. “No. Never mind. Beer, I guess.”

The waitress cocked a white eyebrow, wondering if Haruka was already drunk. “Okay. Beer. What kind?”

_God I don’t care just leave me alone._

“Surprise me.” Haruka shoved the unopened menu before her to the side of the table. The waitress took the menu and shrugged, clearly not in the mood to deal with a difficult customer this late in the evening. 

The thought of walking all the way to the restroom while her brain was painfully throbbing inside her skull was unbearable. Instead, Haruka decided to check the messages on her cell phone. She turned the device off when she left, not wanting to deal with the non-stop calls she anticipated from Michiru. Haruka had no interest in hearing her empty excuses or apologies.

To her chagrin, there were no calls or texts from Michiru. 

Only Setsuna; the magical woman with the garnet orb. And she even left a voicemail.

_“Hello, Haruka. I understand you are angry and confused. Don’t do anything rash. Come to my apartment and I will explain everything.”_

Haruka barked a sardonic laugh. “So you can feed me more lies? Fuck that.”

She slammed the phone against the table harder than she meant to. The jarring sound aggravated her headache and the two other patrons in the diner. Haruka didn’t particularly care if she alarmed or upset anyone. 

She was tired of concerning herself with other people’s opinions. She was tired of checking into the office everyday. Of being held accountable for things that were nobody else’s business. Of smiling when she didn’t feel like it. Of combatting the constant negativity from the public who cared more about her sex life than the millions of dollars she had donated to charities over the years. 

Sometime within the last few months she had begun relying too heavily on Michiru’s light; subconsciously letting her energy guide her through all of the stress and frustrations that came along with her position. 

Without Michiru, Haruka found she couldn’t bring herself to care about anything. 

Haruka’s cell phone rattled against the table. She checked the display, not trusting her eyes when she saw who was calling. 

“Kaori?” she hissed into the receiver. “Where the hell have you been?” 

_“If I wanted you to know, I would have told you,”_ the familiar voice drawled through the other line. Haruka could hear the liquor in her throat and the smoke in her nostrils. _“I’ve got some info I think you’ll find quite… interesting.”_

“I bet you do,” Haruka countered. The waitress slid a glass stein of pale ale in front of her. “Hey, when’s the last time you’ve seen Mimi?”

There was dead silence for the better part of a minute. _“Do you know where she is?”_

“Wow, Kaori. You almost sound concerned.” Haruka knew better than to think Kaori gave a shit about her women. Kaori only cared about two things: herself and money. The latter of which Haruka was going to have to hand over a lot of if she was going to persuade Kaori into divulging the sort of information she wanted. 

_“Of course I care about my girls. We can’t talk about this over an unsecured line. I’ll send Eudial to get you.”_

“What makes you think I care?” Haruka snorted before chugging a good portion of her drink.

Kaori’s husky laugh filled the receiver. _“Because I’ve got details on your little fling with the tight body that I know you’ll just love to hear.”_

Haruka swallowed the unease bubbling up her throat. Did Kaori know about Michiru? And Setsuna, and Rei? The billionaire knew of only two instances where Kaori’s submissives had been involved in a showdown with them. Not counting the masquerade ball where they’d seen the two women and Kaori and Tomoe disappeared. 

Connecting the dots, it was highly improbable for Kaori not to be involved. 

Angry and vulnerable, Haruka agreed far more readily than she should have. “Fine. Tell me where to meet you.”

_“I said not over the phone, pet. Eudial will come fetch you.”_

Haruka rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’m at--”

_“I always know where you are.”_

Haruka ended the call without giving Kaori the satisfaction of hearing her frustration. She returned to resting her elbows on the table, accentuating her monumental confusion and disappointment by rubbing her temples. The waitress refilled her drink without asking, which Haruka drank in record time. Not because she really wanted more beer or enjoyed its taste. It was more to keep her hands occupied and muddle the headache. Cheeks warm and bladder full, Haruka laid a fifty dollar bill on the table before shuffling to the restroom. 

After finishing her business, Haruka walked out of the diner with her head down. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she felt the amulet from Rei. Haruka leaned against the building’s peeling mustard siding and waited. 

She revealed the ward and held it before her eyes. It burned in her pockets when they were with Lulu, then again when Cyprine and Michiru fought. Was this a true yakuyoke? Or another plot devised by Setsuna and them to throw her off the trail? 

She bunched the amulet in her hand and swung her arm to throw it to the ground. Her fist refused to open. Haruka stared at the amulet. It was fashioned from bright red fabric. The Japanese characters and trimming were stitched in gold fabric. Ancient, mysterious power radiated from the small object. 

Unable to part with it, she shoved the charm back in her pocket. 

The diner closed. The waitress and the cook meandered out of the restaurant after locking up. Seeing Haruka, who had wandered to her motorcycle alone, they asked if she needed a ride or a taxi. The blonde shook her head and watched them drive off to the homes and families that were probably waiting for them.

Eudial still did not arrive. 

Haruka gazed up at the waxing moon. Silver light shone through Earth’s stratosphere, accentuating the stars and outlining the distant trees. The piercing, crippling headache Haruka had been battling for days cowered beneath the moon’s presence. Its pure, gentle radiance set Haruka’s troubled mind at ease. For the first time since she saw Michiru transform into Neptune, Haruka felt calm. 

Wheels turning on pavement pulled Haruka from her thoughts. She watched a stylish, bright red Corvette pull into the parking lot. Haruka didn’t flinch when the vehicle charged at her, abruptly coming to a squeaking halt mere inches from her toes. 

“Finally,” Haruka complained when her escort exited the vehicle. 

Eudial, one of Kaori’s most trusted associates, sauntered toward Haruka without expression. Her shoulder-length red hair was tied in two ponytails, dangling over their respective shoulders. Eudial’s scarlet doe eyes studied Haruka’s haphazard appearance. Hands dug into the pockets of her red leather jacket, Eudial leaned against the front bumper of her car and tilted her head. 

“Long time no see, Haruka.”

Haruka grimaced. The amulet she considered throwing away only moments ago began resonating in her pocket. Heat pulsated against her thigh, just as it had with Lulu and Cyprine. The amulet was warning her against evil spirits. 

This time, Haruka was going to listen.

“You know, Eudial, I’m pretty pissed Kaori thought I had time to wait around in the middle of nowhere for you all night. So how about we call it off? I’m going to bed.”

Haruka turned toward her bike, but paused when Eudial dangled a long black cloth between them. “What a pity… I was hoping we could play with this.”

Haruka blinked, thinking she was hallucinating. “A blindfold? Very funny.”

Eudial revealed the contents of her other pocket. Before Haruka knew what was happening, she was staring down the short barrel of a pistol. 

“Now who’s joking?” Eudial asked, expression taciturn and voice chilling. 

Haruka’s adrenaline spiked. Eyes staring down the barrel of a gun and amulet burning in her pocket, she froze like a deer in the headlights. She almost made a break for her motorcycle, but couldn’t risk getting shot. There was no proof her supernatural healing ability could save her from taking a point blank bullet to the face.

The last few hours of Haruka’s life were the most lonely, miserable hours she’d ever experienced. Despite how angry at the world she was, Haruka couldn’t die. 

She needed to see Michiru again. She needed to know the truth. 

“Relax,” Haruka whispered while her hands slowly went into the air. 

“Turn around,” Eudial ordered while cocking the handgun. 

Hands raised toward the moon, Haruka turned and faced her back to Eudial. Trying to remain calm despite the frantic heartbeat pounding in her ears, she took a deep breath. Question after question raced through her mind. 

Was Eudial carrying out Kaori’s orders? Had she gone rogue? If this was done at Kaori’s bidding, why was Kaori threatening her? 

What the hell was going on? 

And, most frustrating of all, why had she run away from the only person she had ever loved?

Too afraid to set Eudial off, Haruka kept her thoughts to herself. As soon as her back was facing Eudial, the blindfold covered her eyes. 

The darkness emboldened Haruka. “You know, if you wanted another go-around with blindfolds, you could have just asked.”

“Our interests in you run far deeper than mortal pleasures of the flesh.”

That wasn’t the strangest thing Haruka heard all day, but it was enough to give her pause. “Wait, what--?”

“Take a nap.”

Sudden trauma cracked the back of her skull. 

Haruka crumpled into vast, aquamarine waves until succumbing to the darkness. 

**♅**

_My arms. I can’t move my arms. I try my legs, finding my ankles bound. My throat clams up as I realize I’m completely naked._

_Weight settles over my belly, pressing my back into the soft material below me. Teal waves and ocean breeze overload my senses. As her angelic face comes into view, the first thing I see are a pair of coy, mischievous cerulean eyes._

_“Haruka, you’re red already… I haven’t even spanked you yet.”_

_“What if Setsuna and Hotaru come home?”_

_Setsuna? Who is Hotaru?_

_“They won’t,” she purrs in my ear. I’m acutely aware of every curve pressing down into mine. I reflexively try moving my arms to pull her into me, but the cuffs hold me down._

_“Now…” She pulls back, sitting on me while wearing a white negligee. “Your safe word?”_

_“Safe word?” I gulp._

_She tilts her head, teal curls spilling over her shoulders. “Honestly, Haruka. Weren’t you paying attention to anything I said?”_

_“It’s hard to concentrate when you wear things like that.”_

_My flattering tease doesn’t seem to win me any points. “I wasn’t wearing this when we talked about it last night.”_

_“Oh, right. Well, you’re always distracting.”_

_“Safe word, Haruka.”_

_Her eyes narrow in a playful glare. The eyes that captured my heart centuries ago. Entire galaxies are contained within them. No matter how many times she looks at me, I’ll never tire of trying to memorize every trapped shard of azure light, every inked swirl, within them._

_It doesn’t take me long to make a decision. “Blue.”_

_“Blue?” Michiru arches an eyebrow. A lascivious smile decorates her plump lips when she guesses why I selected that word. “Good. Let’s see how much pain Sailor Uranus can handle.”_

_“What?” I choke. “You said we were going to take it easy first!”_

_“Oh, so you remember that?” One of her hands holds a black feather with large plumage. She runs the feather across her lips. I can’t stop the groan escaping my mouth in response to the seductive gesture. “Continue misbehaving, and perhaps I’ll change my mind…”_

_“Michiru?”_

_“Hmm?” She twirls the feather against the side of my neck. It tickles, causing me to buck against my restraints._

_“Hey! Stop. I’m trying to be serious,” I whine._

_“And what makes you think I’m not?” she counters, but relinquishes the feather for now._

_“You know what I mean,” I grumble._

_She giggles. Even her light laughter is like a symphony. I can’t pretend to be mad when she leans back down, licking where the feather was touching me moments ago._

_“Go on,” she croons and nuzzles my neck._

_“I just wanted to say that, well, you know I trust you, right?”_

_“Of course. Otherwise you never would have agreed to this,” she begins playfully, but her tone turns serious. “You can always trust me. To take care of you. To guard your heart. And, to keep our promise.”_

_Our promise._

_“Right. Our promise.”_

_“Now. No more procrastinating.”_

_The last thing I see are her blue eyes before a blindfold turns everything dark._

**♅**

“Did you destroy the cell phone?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Haruka heard voices. New voices. Not Neptune’s sweet cantor. Did she know these voices?

“And her motorcycle?”

“Taking a swim, like you instructed.”

Haruka gradually shifted into consciousness. Her head hurt. God, she had a headache like no other. Why was everything dark?

“Did you check her for bugs? We can’t have them finding us until she awakens.”

“I didn’t do a cavity search, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Shrill laughter sent Haruka’s headache into overdrive. 

“I wouldn’t put it past them. We know how kinky Neptune is.”

Neptune. Michiru. Where was Michiru? 

“Hold her down.”

Pressure against her shoulders. Haruka realized she was on her back. There was a hard surface beneath her. 

Then, without warning, her blindfold was replaced with intense light pouring into her eyes. Haruka squinted, unable to see anything with the blinding light directed straight into her face. 

Orange hair and a peculiar, unsettling black symbol stared down at her. 

“Well hello, my pet. It’s been a long time.”


	32. The Link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A startling revelation prepares Michiru for what she must do.

**♆**

The notes to their song poured from her fingers to the keys. One hand played the melody in agonizing retardo. The other was pressed against the piano along with the rest of her forearm, supporting the weight of her heavy, weary head. 

The Perfect Storm played with no life. No purpose. She needed the noise to drown out the sound of Haruka’s last words to her. To try forgetting the betrayal and the anger meant for her. 

Sailor Neptune, or this disenfranchised version of her sitting at the piano, barely able to maintain her fading transformation, did not care what happened to her. The long, drawn out notes of the piano medley filled the discomforting silence of the house, but it was unable to fill the gaping fissure in her heart. 

Michiru had no right to be surprised or hurt. Today’s events were the only logical conclusion to weeks of covert action and deceit. What else had she expected to happen? Haruka did not take betrayal lightly. And the things she didn’t understand, which currently included everything the two of them had spent centuries and multiple lifetimes cultivating, Haruka either destroyed or ran away from. 

A grim smile tugged at the corner of Neptune’s lips. She should be grateful Haruka chose the latter; if Haruka had attacked her, she would have gladly torn her own heart from her chest and handed it over. 

Fierce heat ignited the dead air around her. Knowing the aura did not belong to Haruka, she ignored it in favor of wallowing in her misery.

“What are you doing? Where’s Haruka?” 

Michiru continued playing, waiting until the break in their song. The silence spread through the galaxy from the tip of Sailor Saturn’s glaive. Rest bars represented the years their starseeds remained in slumber, awaiting their rebirth. 

“Gone.” Michiru ruined the meticulously crafted silence. 

“Gone? What do you mean, gone?”

The heat’s intensity grew. Michiru ignored it until a hand was on her shoulder, pushing her away from the piano. The ribbons of her faltering transformation settled on the intruder, and the energy of their guardian planets passed between them.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?”

Contained violet flames flickered at Michiru from inside her eyes. Neptune turned away from Mars and stared down at the row of ivory keys. She didn’t owe Mars an explanation. She didn’t owe her anything. 

“Leave me alone,” Neptune responded. All traces of teasing or mirth were gone, replaced with frigid anger daring Mars to challenge her. 

Mars took two steps back. Her hands went to her hips with a huff. Her raven locks settled behind her back as she became a statue for a brief moment. “Fine. I’ll go make sure Haruka doesn’t do anything stupid.” 

Michiru did not react as Mars sprinted from the room. There was no point. Haruka was not here because she did not want to be found. She did not want to risk returning and seeing Michiru in her house. Haruka was a runner; she was probably miles away by now, pretending distance could shrink the ache in her chest. 

Now that her thoughts had returned to her lover, destitution and solitude spread like a stain. Michiru could not bring herself to play once again. The tendrils of Neptune’s magic embracing her wavered. Unwilling to find the strength to maintain her Senshi form, and not caring to revert back to Michiru, she ignored it and sat in silent limbo. 

Until the presence of yet another guardian planet interrupted her solitude. 

“I know you’re there,” Michiru whispered, making no attempt to conceal her loathing. Sailor Pluto was not one to be as easily disregarded as Mars. 

“Come with me,” Pluto instructed. There was a tentative softness to her voice. If she had any clue as to what transpired, and she most likely did, she gave no sign. Nor did she come any closer, which Michiru was grateful for.

“Why?” Michiru sighed. 

“I need your help.”

“Get Mars to do it.” Eyes stinging, Michiru turned her gaze to the window. There was no moon in the sky. “I’d rather be left alone.”

“All the more reason for you to come with me.” Pluto’s staff hit the floor. “Besides, Mars is preoccupied. Someone has to keep track of Haruka, as you’ve seemingly decided to give up on your mission.”

“My mission is to keep Haruka safe. Being with me puts her in a constant state of agony.”

Unspoken words hung in the air between them. Pluto’s silence spoke volumes. She understood Michiru’s agony, but she was not going to tolerate it, either. Not when the fate of the galaxy was at stake. 

Even in her pronounced state of misery, Neptune understood. She just wasn’t ready to be strong. Not yet.

“We both know Haruka needs time. She is confused and angry. She will come around. She always does.”

Setsuna always had a straightforward, tough love approach. Michiru did not bother asking Setsuna how she knew what had transpired. With a resigned sigh, she placed the cover back over the keys. Her palm rest over her brooch. The flickering energy of her starseed resonated in response. It echoed her sentiments. 

_I can’t do this without Uranus._

_I’m not strong enough without Uranus._

_What’s the point without Uranus?_

Every fiber in her aching body wanted to lay down and give up. 

But she didn’t. She couldn’t. She was Sailor Neptune. Whether Uranus was there to support her or not, she had a duty. Neptune was incapable of ignoring her pledge to the greater good, and Pluto knew it, too. 

Besides, if she rolled over and gave up now, she would be forfeiting her right to Uranus’ love. Giving up on their promise meant giving up everything they stood for. Uranus deserved a strong fighter, not a weak quitter. 

Michiru dismissed the waning remains of her magic. Sparkling shreds of aquamarine magic disappeared, replaced by her tragic mortal form. Michiru took a deep breath. Whatever Haruka was doing, whatever she was thinking, Michiru had to trust Haruka would come back to her. 

With a resigned sigh, she turned to Sailor Pluto. 

“What do you want me to do?” 

**♂**

Rei followed the spiritual essence of the yakuyoke she gifted to Haruka the day of the helicopter crash. Given the grave circumstances surrounding them since Rei had volunteered to come assist Setsuna on Earth, she should have given it to her sooner. Unfortunately, Haruka was a difficult person to get close to. And even more unfortunate was Rei’s glaring inability to make new friends. Even if they weren’t “new” friends at all. 

Pushing those thoughts aside, Rei concentrated on following the amulet’s trail. Traces of her signature energy led her on for miles. The former shrine maiden found concentrating on its aura difficult as she drove, but Rei refused to lose it. 

Forcing her thoughts away from everything she often pondered while idle—Usagi, the Dromedons, and Minako— she pressed her foot harder against the gas pedal. 

Whatever happened before she and Setsuna appeared had been enough to send Michiru into an uncharacteristic slump, and sent Haruka for a very, very long drive. Rei tried keeping to the speed limit. After the first hour passed and the charm’s energy remained stagnant, she gave up hope of remaining a law-abiding citizen. 

Over an hour later, Rei breathed a sigh of relief. She downshifted Setsuna’s corvette and pulled over. For the first time in miles, Rei took stock of her surroundings. There was no sign of civilization besides an abandoned convenience store down the road, and a closed diner across the street. She checked her watch. 

After midnight. 

“Where the hell are you, Haruka?” Rei pondered before exiting the vehicle. Late night chill nipped at her cheeks. It barely affected her, given her accelerated metabolic rate and body temperature, but she felt it. Not carnally, but spiritually. 

Rei closed the car door. She locked it and shoved the starter in her jean pocket. Combatting the foreboding sensations nagging at her, she instead concentrated on the energy emanating from her yakuyoke. 

Wherever it was, it wasn’t moving. 

Rei crossed the lonely stretch of highway on foot. The aura grew stronger as she approached the empty parking lot across the street. Nothing but a streetlamp and a fluorescent “Closed” sign hanging on the door shed light on her path. 

The stronger the yakuyoke’s presence, the more suspicious Rei became. 

There was no trace of Haruka’s unique aura. She felt no raging torrents. No perfectly balanced yin and yang. Nor, in a fleeting, desperate thought, did she feel the incomparable resonance of Uranus’ crystal. 

Rei’s instincts screamed something was wrong. 

“Haruka!” she yelled into the void. 

There was no response, but that didn’t stop her from trying again. “Haruka! Damn it… Why did you and Michiru have to pick tonight to have a fight, of all nights?”

Rei abruptly stopped in the middle of the vacant lot. The pulse of the amulet she made beat stronger now, as if inside her own heart. 

Rei followed the tether, grunting when she found herself standing in front of a closed dumpster. 

“Seriously?” She put her hands on her hips. Offended, she threw the lid back. 

“If I find out you threw this in here Haruka, I swear.” Rei plugged her nose against the foul vapors oozing from the restaurant’s trash. 

Resting on top of the pile, like a fish out of water, was the amulet. She snatched it and let the dumpster lid close. 

Rei flattened the amulet between her palms. The reading would pale in comparison to a fire reading, but she did not want to wait. She recited her chants, feeling the growing power of the amulet responding to her.

No clear visions came. Instead, the emotions of its owner gave her a clear enough impression of what may have happened. Rage and betrayal. Followed by adrenaline and fear. 

Rei swapped the cell phone in her pocket with the amulet. Anxiously waiting for the call to connect, she stared up at the midnight sky, wondering when the moon had disappeared from view. 

“Did you find Haruka?” Setsuna answered the call with a question.

“No. And wherever she is, I don’t think she went voluntarily.”

**♆**

Arms crossed over her chest, Michiru glared at the two captive Dromedons. Rei and Setsuna had them bound and gagged inside of ironclad cages. An electric force field stretched between the bars of the cages. 

Michiru, back to her civilian form, wore the heels and form-fitting dress from the grand re-opening of the art exhibit. Michiru couldn’t concentrate on the task at hand. Her mind wandered, traveling to before Haruka learned her secret. During the art exhibit event, Haruka struggled to function with the headache she stubbornly tried ignoring. Michiru tried reaching out to her multiple times, but Haruka would wince and pull away. 

Uranus must be lurking somewhere beneath the surface, refusing to emerge for whatever reason. The headaches, pains Michiru remembered receiving whenever she felt a memory, or was on the verge of a realization, were signs Uranus was close to awakening. They had to be. 

Michiru was conflicted, now more than ever. If Uranus would only come back to her, surely the headaches would cease and this frustrating misunderstanding between them would be cleared up. Uranus would understand. After all, she would have done the same. 

However, if she did awaken, the Dromedons would most certainly move whatever they were planning into effect. Michiru watched the pair struggle against their bonds, and decided it was time to begin their interrogation. 

She turned to Sailor Pluto, still in her fuku, wielding the garnet rod. Time keys and syringes dangled from the chain around her waist. In her subtle, strange way, Setsuna pushed Michiru to come because she knew Michiru would never give up on her mission. Protecting Haruka had always been, and will always be, the most important directive Michiru ever followed. Regardless of how Haruka felt toward her, Michiru could never stop protecting her. 

Pluto pressed a red button on the outside of Cyprine’s cage, disarming the electrical current circulating it. Their weapons had been confiscated, but they were not about to take any unnecessary risks. The witch, tied to a chair, glared at the Time Guardian above the metal contraption sealing her mouth shut. 

Michiru stood in the doorway of the cage. She glanced at the conjoined prison, where Ptilol sat and watched. 

“I am going to remove your gag. Your regenerative capabilities have been neutralized. If either of you try anything, I will not hesitate to destroy you,” Pluto warned. The garnet rod twinkled as if echoing her sentiment. 

Cyprine silently nodded in response. Angling the talisman below Cyprine’s chin, Pluto’s free hand unclasped the burdensome metallic gag. It clanked to the floor. Michiru had never seen the object before, and didn’t care to ask where all of this equipment came from. Pluto pressed the talisman against Cyprine’s chin. 

The enemy’s jaw set firm. Cyprine’s sapphire eyes glared into Pluto’s in a silent battle of wills. Having no patience for their power struggle, Michiru stepped in. “Haruka recognized you. You work for Kaori, don’t you?”

Cyprine’s upper lip curled. “Why should I tell you anything?”

“Self-preservation. Or altruism, perhaps?” Michiru gestured toward Ptilol, shaking in the other cage. “You had no issue using that tactic on Haruka earlier.”

Pluto read Michiru’s frightful scowl and nodded. “I would do as she says. I think you’ll find her less… forgiving than my other colleague.”

“Still mad about being killed the first time?” Cyprine gloated. “We defeated you once. We can do it again.”

“Except you won’t. Why?” Michiru pressed. She realized her first question still had yet to be answered, but perhaps trying another approach would not hurt. “All of you had access to Haruka when she was vulnerable. Yet you did not move against her.”

Michiru could see the alien clenching her jaw. Cyprine wasn’t going to divulge anything without proper incentive. She gripped her lip rod in her hand. Michiru could only hope anger and revenge would be enough to fuel her transformation.

Cyprine arched an eyebrow at Michiru’s hesitation. “Feeling a little… inadequate, without Sailor Uranus?” 

Michiru found the end of her patience. She lunged forward and squeezed Cyprine’s thin neck in her hands. It would have been so easy to snuff the life out of her. To release her pain and frustration with a satisfying snap of the Dromedon’s neck. If Cyprine wasn’t going to talk, there was no reason to keep her alive. 

The black symbol, a starburst in the center of Cyprine’s forehead, flashed in Michiru’s face. Michiru and Cyprine recoiled from the unexpected flash. 

“What was that?” Pluto inserted herself between the two of them. She bent her tall form in half, leaning over and studying the undulating magic contained within the symbol. Pluto spent a long, uncomfortable minute staring and poking the starburst. 

“Stop that,” Cyprine grumbled. 

“Tell me what happened,” Michiru pressed. The magic that passed between them was unlike anything Sailor Neptune had ever felt before. 

“I don’t know.” The Dromedon turned away, looking to her comrade in the conjoined cell. Michiru studied their expressions. If she had to guess, they seemed confused and afraid. 

“What?” Michiru asked with practiced patience. 

The blue-haired Dromedon looked to the floor. “When we were fighting earlier… Haruka jumped on me. Her hand was on my forehead and it hurt. Really hurt. But I thought I felt… something.”

Michiru and the Guardian of Space-Time exchanged looks. Pluto arched an eyebrow. “Explain.” 

“I don’t think I can.” Cyprine looked at Michiru, almost shyly. “But I think if I don’t resist, maybe it won’t hurt this time. Touch my forehead.”

“Why me?” Michiru asked, though the pit of nausea growing in her stomach told her she already knew the answer. 

“If it worked with the other one, I think it will work with you.”

The “other one.” The other Sailor Senshi. The other rarity in this universe; a quasi-human imbued with the power of a guardian planet and its correlating starseed. The only other Sailor Guardian the Dromedons had managed to slay. 

Desperate for answers, Michiru agreed with a curt nod. She extended a hand toward Cyprine, but Pluto grabbed her wrist. “Are you sure this is wise? What if it’s a trap?”

Michiru did not share the same sentiment. She looked into Cyprine, or rather, the unnamed Dromedon’s eyes, and saw fatigue. Confusion. These aliens were as tired from decades of war as they were. Maybe, now that they were alone with only death to look forward to, they were ready to resort to other means to end this.

Whatever the reason, Michiru was not about to turn down the opportunity to learn something about herself, the Dromedons, or the mysterious link between them. 

“If I look to be in pain, pull me away and kill her,” Michiru ordered. Without giving Pluto time to object, Michiru took a deep breath and pressed her hand flat against Cyprine’s head. 

Michiru’s very essence was sucked from her body. The strength of the Dromedon’s power greedily snatched Neptune into itself. For a brief second Michiru felt the vast void of oblivion. 

Then her entire body lurched as if thrust forward at the speed of light. Michiru couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing at first. The absence of light, the sounds, the bitter cold turning her bones to ice; it was too foreign to comprehend. 

Until Michiru found a guiding light. A beacon, shaped like the starburst on all of their foreheads, flickered before her. It was incorporeal and emitted an unfamiliar energy. Michiru followed it, letting it guide her through the cacophonous sea of darkness. 

Countless minutes passed. Gradually, like a child learning to walk and speak, Michiru began absorbing the information being thrown at her. Much like when she unwittingly forfeited the collective experiences from all of her lifetimes to the Dromedons when she died, she was learning everything about “Cyprine.”

Not only Cyprine, whose true name Michiru still did not know, but their entire race. These frightening, abhorrent aliens. These murderers, who invaded the Milky Way through the Space-Time Gate and caused nothing but misery for the Sailor Senshi ever since. 

Except they weren’t malicious murderers at all. At least, not intentionally.

Michiru became completely absorbed in the rich story told through images and sounds. The beacon led her onward, through turmoil and strife, teaching her the history of these creatures. She went back in time, stretching before there was a recognizable concept of such, to an era where the ‘Dromedons’ were unrecognizable. 

Their forms--their true forms-- were shockingly magnificent creatures. The likes of which had never existed on Earth. They had been a peaceful species with impressive psychic capabilities; born from and ruled by a Supreme Being. 

Then the poison came. The same poison that festered through, and ultimately killed, her and Uranus, suddenly appeared from another dimension. Instead of killing their species, it formed a perverted symbiotic relationship with them, corrupting their minds and bodies as a result. 

She was taken on a journey through their exodus from their home. They fled the poison, in search of a new home. Through the deaths of her and Uranus, they learned of the Legendary Silver Crystal, including its mystical healing and purifying abilities. They learned of the Sailor Soldiers backed by the strength of their guardian planets, and how, by combining their energies with the Silver Crystal, they had overcome all obstacles thrown in their direction. 

Through their collective consciousness, Michiru saw everything: over twenty years of planning to coax them into awakening, the lair where they kept their Supreme Being hidden, and, most frightening of all, the erosion of the very heart and soul of their species. 

If they didn’t act soon, these aliens would be stuck as the poisoned ‘Dromedon’ forever. 

There would be all out war. And it wasn’t a war Michiru foresaw the Sailor Senshi winning. 

Michiru would have been overwhelmed, had she not abandoned herself and become one with the alien’s mind. She was there, completely submerged within their collective consciousness, when a rush of inertia and nausea pulled her back into her body. 

Michiru stumbled backward. Pluto held her upright as she thrashed about, trying to remember how to use her limbs. 

She glared up at Setsuna with wild, accusatory eyes. “Why did you pull me out?!”

Burgundy eyes widened in surprise. “You were standing there for two hours!”

Setsuna’s cell phone rattled on the table outside of the cage.

“Go answer it,” Michiru urged. Pluto looked between Michiru and the Dromedon, not confident in leaving them together unsupervised, but not willing to argue. 

Left alone, Michiru and the alien studied each other with a newfound understanding. They basked in their shared awe of what transpired between them, neither of them willing to speak. Michiru had many questions, but the sense of peace that came with her newly-acquired knowledge trumped her insecurities. 

This senseless war did not have to continue. 

Michiru could fix this. She could fix it all, if only Uranus would awaken.

“Michiru!” Setsuna interrupted the silent bonding moment by bursting back into the cage. “We have a problem. Rei thinks Haruka was kidnapped.”

Michiru snapped her attention back to Cyprine. The Dromedon wilted in anticipation of being struck down. 

Triggered by her lover’s name, Michiru pounced Cyprine. In one fluid motion, she straddled the chair and had her hands around the Dromedon’s neck. All of the fury, all of the rage, focused into her hands as she choked Cyprine.

“Where is Haruka?! Where is she?!”

Cyprine choked as she stared up into Michiru’s crazed eyes. “You… know…”

Those two words gave Michiru pause. 

Yes, she knew. Michiru had seen where they were hiding their life source. The immense creature with the red eyes the Sailor Scouts unsuccessfully tried destroying without Neptune and Uranus. 

That was where they had taken Haruka. 

Michiru stared into the disguised creature’s frightened eyes. She was trembling, and knew full well Michiru would kill her for being allied with those who kidnapped Haruka. 

But as Michiru stared into her terrified face, she realized she couldn’t. 

It wasn’t her fault. None of this was their fault. 

Cyprine, Ptilol, and all the others were only doing what they thought was necessary to restore their species to the wonderful creatures they once were. And they knew that, if they didn’t figure something out soon, they would be trapped in these loathsome bodies forever. 

Taking a deep breath to contain the tsunami brewing inside of her, Michiru released Cyprine’s neck. She turned to Setsuna. “I know where they took her.”

“You seem calm.” Setsuna tilted her head. Michiru’s sudden shift from bloodlust to levelheaded determination caught the Timekeeper by surprise. 

“I think I know how to end this.” Michiru walked behind Cyprine and unbound her wrists. Then she released her ankles. “But we have to hurry.”

“How? What are you doing?”

Michiru’s expression remained firm as she unlocked the other cage and began releasing Ptilol as well. “I’ll explain on the way. It’s going to be a long flight.”

Not one accustomed to being in the dark, Sailor Pluto frowned. “Where are we going?”

Michiru stood to her full height. Cyprine and Ptilol ambled to their feet, walking toward each other in a daze. The camouflaged aliens embraced.

Sailor Neptune did not know what to expect when they arrived. It would take hours to fly there. In her heart, Michiru knew Rei was correct. Out of desperation, the Dromedons had abducted Haruka. And they were doing whatever they could to make Uranus awaken. 

Time was of the essence. There was no telling how much longer the aliens could withstand the poison’s influence before turning completely evil. 

Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, Michiru held her transformation stick in the air. 

“We’re flying to Indonesia. I’m going to save Haruka. And then I’m going to save everyone.”


	33. The Hive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka's not having a good time.

**♅**

The metallic taste of copper filled her mouth. Blood pooled around her tongue. The flesh inside her cheek ruptured yet again in response to the latest in a slew of hard slaps to her face. Each assault was accompanied by a shrilling shriek. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! Why won’t you wake up?”

Haruka didn’t answer. She couldn’t. 

Her face jerked to the side when she suffered another blow. 

Haruka managed to stay conscious. Barely. Enough to feel her skin break and heal, again and again, repeating the cycle countless times. She descended into deliriousness, often forgetting she was still alive until a jolt of pain unceremoniously tightened her tether to the mortal realm.

The pain conquering her face was a small blessing. It at least drowned out the pounding headache. The torture took her thoughts away from the lingering anger and betrayal. For brief spurts of time, anyway. 

Try as she did to forget Michiru and her supernatural alternate identity, Haruka saw her cerulean eyes whenever a white hot flash of pain blinded her. 

Michiru. Neptune. Past. Present. Images cycled through her subconsciousness each time she thought she couldn’t find the will to breathe again.

“Obviously this approach isn’t working,” a slow, collected voice spoke. 

Haruka kept her face low, gazing into her lap through swollen eyelids. She knew her face would heal momentarily; this last hour of torture had taught her as much. Her wrists, tied to the arms of an uncomfortable metal chair, were already numb. Her legs, also bound, were soon to follow. Crimson drops trickled down her chin before falling to stain her Armani pants. 

“Then get your ass over here and do something!” the familiar, angry voice countered. 

Haruka did not dare look up. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the surreal feeling of her wounds healing themselves. First her face felt numb. Then the incisions and bruises twinged and itched as the cells regenerated. Haruka tried fighting the healing. She tried surrendering to death. Haruka didn’t want to do this for another hour, let alone eternity. And yet, her physical form stubbornly fought against her will, bringing her back to life again and again.

“You’d better control yourself,” the masculine voice warned. “If you kill her—”

“Kill her?!” The female chortled with ironic laughter. “Relax! I couldn’t kill her even if I wanted to.”

Haruka recognized the voices. She knew both of them. Their names… Why couldn’t she remember their names? 

“Don’t lay another hand on her.” Whoever this man was, he seemed to be in charge. “Let’s try something else.”

“I’ve an idea.” The raspy voice turned seductive. Haruka felt her chin being lifted. She found herself staring up at a familiar face wearing a solid black mask. 

Yes, Haruka had known this woman for years. This was her mother’s longtime friend. This was the woman who touched her when no one else was looking. The woman who picked her up from school. The woman who taught Haruka things about her body she would never learn from any textbook. The woman who stole her innocence, corrupting her outlook on her body and sex and relationships...

“Kaori,” Haruka mumbled, finding her mouth did not hurt as much as it should. 

“Except that isn’t my name, pet.” A pencil-thin eyebrow raised in amusement. “But I’ll allow it.”

Haruka’s forehead burned, but she was at least able to think coherently again. “What the hell is your problem?! Why are you doing this to me?”

“So many questions…” Kaori pretended to consider Haruka’s inquiries. She twirled her long vermillion mane, walking circles around Haruka’s trapped form. Haruka pulled against her restraints to no avail. 

Kaori eventually settled her round bottom on Haruka’s lap. In no position to push her away, Haruka gave her a disgusted snarl instead. 

“Oh, my pet!” Kaori pretended to be offended. She pouted and began stroking Haruka’s sweaty locks. “How quickly you forgot about me once Neptune came into the picture. It hurts my feelings, you know…”

Haruka tried pulling away from her touch, but there was nowhere to go. “Don’t touch me!”

“I was quite surprised when I heard you’d stopped binding…” Kaori drawled, ignoring Haruka’s protests. “I figured that was her idea.” 

Kaori’s hand relaxed over Haruka’s sternum. Her long fingers spread wide, resting over the swell of Haruka’s breasts. 

The physical contact jolted Haruka’s heart. It wasn’t a sensation of pain or pleasure. It was foreign. Alien. Haruka shook her head, confused with the sounds and images flashing in her mind. 

Seeming not to notice, Kaori’s hand traveled south. Long fingernails walked down to Haruka’s waistband, stopping at the crotch of Haruka’s pants. “Was wearing this her idea too?” 

Haruka grunted when Kaori’s wandering hand found the phallus beneath her pants. The wicked, predatory grin on the older woman’s face made Haruka laugh in defiance. “I wouldn’t fuck you again even if you held a gun to my head.”

Kaori’s hand flew to Haruka’s neck. Haruka struggled to breathe while wild, frazzled mauve eyes stared her down. “I could take you for a ride right now, and there’s nothing you could do to stop me!”

“That’s enough!” 

Haruka and Kaori turned toward the male presence, watching from the shadows. The veiled figure stepped into the phosphorescent green lighting. Now that Haruka’s vision was coming into focus, she began making sense of her surroundings. 

Everything was cold. Dark. The air was thick, but she couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen. The bright green glow she noticed was emanating from the ground. They were in a cave of some sort. Or perhaps underground. Slick rubble, decorated with sacks exuding luminous light, stretched onward as far as she could see. 

And there was noise. So much noise making her head throb in agony. 

“You’ve wasted enough time trying to awaken her with those carnal methods,” the man said when he came into view. 

The smooth, deep voice. The silver hair. The glasses. Recognition and revenge invigorated Haruka. She yanked against her restraints, rocking the chair in a futile effort to close the gap between them. 

“Kawakami!” Haruka snapped her teeth like a ravenous wolf. “I owe you for what you did to Michiru! I swear, if I get my hands on you I’ll--”

“I think you’ll soon learn that the near future holds more… pressing concerns, Sailor Uranus.”

Sailor Uranus. 

The words spoken from Tomoe’s smug smirk made Haruka sick. Anger churned her stomach. She was sick of everyone calling her that; Setsuna, Michiru, the mysterious women in her dreams, and now Tomoe. 

Everyone except her knew what it meant, and she was fucking sick of hearing it. 

“Enough with the ‘Uranus’ shit! Now tell me what the fuck is going on!” Haruka demanded. She was in no position to make demands, but there was nothing else she could do. 

Kaori chewed on a long, manicured fingernail. She and Tomoe exchanged glances. He remained expressionless, but her painted lips curved into a sly smile. “What a splendid idea! I think I’ll do just that.” 

Haruka almost felt relieved. Maybe, after all this time, she was finally going to get answers. The way Kaori slipped from her lap, the sinister glee in her eyes, turned Haruka’s anticipation into dread. 

“Well, my pet…” Kaori leaned over Haruka’s captive form and patted her cheek. “That’s the bulk of it, really. You’re Sailor Uranus. And we’d really, _really_ appreciate it if you’d fucking remember!”

Expecting another slap, Haruka braced herself. No strike came, but the prisoner couldn’t relax. Her forehead began burning all over again. 

“We’ve tried just about everything to jog that rusty memory of yours…” Kaori stroked Haruka’s damp hair. “Taking the form of your enemies… Sticking your symbol everywhere… Doing all the fun things you and Neptune used to do…”

Kaori squeezed Haruka’s lips together into a puckering position. “And you still won’t awaken!” 

Haruka grunted as her face was violently jerked to the side. She shook her head. Jumbled thoughts and visions overran her senses. Neptune, Setsuna, castles, waterfalls… so many sounds and pictures Haruka couldn’t begin to make sense of. Some she recognized from her dreams. Others were foreign and strange. 

Haruka glared up at Kaori. The mask was gone, replaced with a peculiar black symbol on her forehead. It shimmered in the dim green light. 

“Ah!” As if in pain, Kaori stumbled backwards. She turned away, clutching her forehead and swearing.

Tomoe blocked Haruka’s view. He adjusted the rim of his glasses. Unlike Kaori, whose lust and rage painted her face in bold strokes, he was serious and detached. 

“I don’t know what you two are talking about! Let me go!” Haruka yelled to the taciturn man. 

She didn’t believe her own words. Haruka knew there was a grain of truth concealed within their taunts. Thriving inside of her dreams was another lifetime. Another universe, with all of these familiar faces and Michiru and all the other women who wore masks and wielded magical weapons. 

Michiru, Setsuna, Rei, Minako… 

Their supernatural auras. Their knowing smiles and suggestive glances. The irony in all of their actions. 

Haruka groaned as the piercing migraine returned in full force. Something was inside of her skull, poking at the back of her eyeballs.

“Faced with the truth, and still something inside of you insists on rebelling.” Tomoe tilted his head, looking confounded with Haruka’s struggle. 

“Where is Michiru?” Haruka ignored his penetrating stare. “You better not harm her!” 

“She’ll get her invitation. Once the guest of honor arrives.” 

Haruka frowned. Cyprine said the same thing. The guest of honor. The person these people were waiting for. 

It wasn’t her. It was Uranus. Uranus was all they wanted. 

Kaori, the statutory rapist. Tomoe, the man who harrassed Michiru. Cyprine and Mimete, the women who attacked Michiru. They all wanted one thing. And, from what Haruka could discern, it was the one thing Michiru and Setsuna had been guarding her from. Their secrecy and their lies had all been for the sake of keeping this Sailor Uranus at bay, away from these violent people and their mysterious goals. 

Despair and incomparable pain throbbed inside of Haruka’s head. She cried out as light and agony poured from her forehead. An indescribable release escaped her body; bathing the endless darkness in bright light. Kaori, Tomoe, and others she couldn’t see, all cowered in the wake of her heavenly power. 

Haruka didn’t know what was happening. She didn’t know who or what she was anymore. The only tangible thought she could maintain while her body was racked with electrical energy was her need for Michiru. Michiru was the only one who knew her. Who understood her. She was Neptune, the woman from her dreams, and Haruka had pushed her away for committing the sin of trying to protect her. 

Thanks to her stupidity, Haruka was beginning to doubt she would ever see Michiru again. The pain sprouting from her forehead, something more akin to a miracle than a headache, was going to kill her if it went on for much longer. 

Then, just as soon as it had begun, darkness vanquished the light in a flurry of wind and energy. A swirling vortex sucked the magical light pouring from her forehead back inside of her. 

Exhausted and gasping for air, Haruka’s head hung low. Her chest constricted, making breathing difficult. If it weren’t for the supernatural phenomenon, she would have thought she was having a panic attack. Someone grabbed her chin and yanked her head up. 

“Interesting. I know it was there.” 

Tomoe again. Haruka curled her upper lip at him. She couldn’t stand being looked at like some sort of science experiment. 

Confused as she was, Haruka knew what he was referring to. The gold symbol she saw on her forehead the morning she cut herself. The peculiar design that continuously appeared throughout her life. Over and over it reappeared; and now Haruka knew why. 

“You know...” Kaori hovered behind Tomoe, acting too frightened to draw any closer. “The Witches didn’t work. We should try someone else.”

“I take that to mean you have a suggestion?” Tomoe asked his associate without turning his impartial mauve gaze from Haruka. 

Kaori cast a wicked grin at their prisoner. She tilted her head back and bellowed. An inhuman, guttural sound escaped her lips, filling the cavern. The background noises Haruka had been hearing the entire time rose to meet Kaori’s. It was a back and forth, as if a conversation were taking place. Haruka’s ears rang. Chills ran down her spine. She couldn’t begin to make sense of who, or what these people were; except to say they were definitely not human. 

Haruka could not believe her eyes. Emerging from the depths of the cavern, coming into the neon verdant light, was a monster. A enormous, grotesque creature, with rows of gnashing teeth and gelatinous black flesh, came into view. Haruka couldn’t begin to make sense of what she was looking at. It appeared to be nothing more than an amalgamation of limbs and mouths. There was no face. No eyes. 

Constrained in one of its countless arms was a bound and gagged human. Haruka had only met him in person once, but she could never forget his face. Contorted with panic and misery, she recognized his dark eyes and raven black hair. When they met years ago, he was perfectly polished and composed. His black mane was slicked back into a ponytail, and his face was as serious as they came. 

Now he looked no better than her; disheveled, sweaty, and bruised; a mere shell of his former self. 

“Wildes?” Haruka found it hard to believe what she was seeing. The massive, terrifying creature carrying her private investigator unceremoniously deposited him in front of Kaori and Tomoe. 

Though gagged, his muffled scream of pain resonated throughout the cavern. Kaori nodded at the lugubrious monster. It turned and shuffled back from where it came. Trailing around and behind the multi-legged monster were dozens of slugs, all slithering along the floor. 

Kaori leaned down and plucked one of the small creatures from the ground. She held it in the green light, giving Haruka and Julian a clear view of what she was holding in her palm. 

Haruka recognized the slug all too well. Setsuna had one of them contained in her bedroom on Michiru’s birthday; that fateful day when Haruka first realized strange occurrences were afoot. 

If Setsuna really was associated with NASA in any way, then these fearsome creatures had to be aliens. 

Tomoe collected Julian from the floor and forced him to his feet. The investigator’s suit top was stained with blood and sweat. His bloodshot eyes stared at Haruka across the empty space between them, attempting to convey through furtive glances what he had witnessed. 

In only a few short seconds, Haruka could tell he was a shattered, broken man. Whatever he had been exposed to, whatever they’d done to him, it had ruined him. 

Haruka swallowed hard. This must have been what Tomoe meant about her near future. She could see her fate reflected in Julian’s fractured eyes. 

“Oh relax,” Kaori crooned as she approached Julian. She prostrated her hand holding the toothed slug, laying her palm flat so it could rest upon it. With her other hand, she languidly stroked the slimy creature. 

Kaori paused before her target, reveling in his torment as he struggled to break free. Tomoe was thin, but strong, and seemed to have no problem restraining their half-starved prisoner. 

Ignoring his gag, Julian shouted and carried on indecipherably. Haruka couldn’t begin to imagine what was going to happen, nor did she want a front row seat. 

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Haruka interjected. Julian looked a mess; he must have been in their clutches since before she tried paying him the remainder of the sum she owed. The billionaire never would have suspected he was kidnapped by the very woman who recommended his services. 

“But this is for your benefit, my pet…” Kaori raised the slug to her lips and gave it a ruby red kiss. “Don’t you want to be reunited with Neptune and the others? Your princess?”

“What?” Haruka blinked, perplexed as Kaori whispered something to the monster in her hand. “You haven’t been making any sense! Leave him out of it!”

“Oh Julian will be out of the picture very soon.” Kaori turned to the private investigator. “Thanks for giving Haruka those pictures, by the way.”

Kaori ripped the filthy rag out of his mouth. 

“You fucking monster!” Julian’s voice was hoarse, as if he had been screaming without water for days. “I swear—”

“Oh shut it.” Kaori rolled her eyes and stuffed his mouth with the alien in her hand. Haruka thought she was going to be sick, watching as its snapping pincer teeth latched onto Julian’s lips and forced itself inside his mouth. 

Haruka never considered herself squeamish, but this was too much. Her last meal threatened to come back up. She tried looking away, but was unable to tear her eyes from the supernatural event taking place before her. The transformation was something pulled straight from a horrific science fiction movie. 

Julian choked and gagged. Undeterred, the creature forced itself inside down his throat. His entire body shifted; changing into another person entirely. Skin stretched and bones snapped as he transformed. Haruka was mystified and disgusted; amazed and horrified. 

When he stood to his new, fuller height, Haruka didn’t recognize him. At least, she thought she didn’t. But when her forehead twinged and burned as this new stranger with pale skin and a long black ponytail approached her, Haruka found herself doubting her memory. 

“Well, look who it is!” The new man grinned, full of arrogance and pride. He looked and sounded nothing like Julian. Julian’s dark eyes were now sparkling blue orbs full of mischief.

“Who are you?” Haruka asked. 

He laughed; a grating noise that made Haruka’s blood boil and her forehead itch. “Seriously? You’ve always been a hot-headed moron.”

The hallucination, or whatever he was, pretended to hold a microphone to his mouth. “Should I dance? Should I sing?”

“You should tell me who the fuck you are and what you’ve done with Julian!” Haruka yelled. Her frustration magnified when he and Kaori broke out into laughter. 

“That would defeat the point!” He pointed dramatically at her. “You need to remember!”

Haruka’s face burned. “I am sick to fucking death of hearing that!”

The stranger leaned into her face. He placed his hands over hers and squeezed. “You’re a dummy, but I don’t think you could ever forget.”

The man fluttered his eyelids in an effeminate manner. “Michiru batting her eyes at me.” He dug his fingertips into her fists. “Holding up her wavy hair… inviting me to undress her…”

A long, thin ponytail slid over his shoulder. Haruka focused on the lock of hair, trying to push away the images flooding her mind. With every flash of his face came stars, lights, and pop music. The light on her forehead flashed. 

“Ah! Stop!” Haruka cried. 

His fingernails dug harder into her skin. The pain paled in comparison to the undulating sensations in her head. 

“She’s bad natured, that Michiru…” he laughed. The light burned harder, and his azure eyes dilated in response. 

“Shut up!” Haruka tried pushing the vision away, praying that if she could keep away whatever was trying to come out, the pain might subside. 

“I was dressed so sharply, too, after my concert. And you were wearing that disgusting denim shirt.”

A surge of pain and recognition hit her in a hot gust of air. Her arms and legs strained against her bindings, threatening to pull herself loose. “Damn you, Seiya!”

Just as Haruka realized what she was saying, the cavernous structure around them quaked. A booming cacophony of indecipherable noise snuffed the light, and intense migraine, from her head. Haruka couldn’t make any sense of what she was hearing, but the three creatures around her stood to attention.

Emboldened by the confusion and her sudden wave of relief, Haruka was the first to speak. “What—?” 

“Kaori! Tomoe!” 

Haruka grimaced as Eudial came running into the neon lights. She hadn’t thought her night could get any worse. Looking at the woman who kidnapped her gave Haruka a sudden sense of foreboding. 

“The Omnivear just summoned us!” Kaori growled, not attempting to shield her annoyance. “What could you possibly have to say that could be more important?”

Eudial was bent over. Her hands rest on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. With a gulp, she stood to her full height. “We have company!”

“What? No!” Kaori shrieked. She tugged at her orange mane in frustration. Her dirty, worn heels stamped at the earth. “Early! Too early!”

Tomoe glared at Kaori’s outburst. “Eudial! Seiya! Go meet our guests. Stall them for as long as possible. Do not kill them. And if this doesn’t work… lead them to the Omnivear’s chamber.”

Omnivear? Guests?

The unwanted guests had to be the magical women; the fire woman, the woman with the garnet orb… and Neptune. Haruka ached with the hope of seeing Michiru once more.

What was there to be hopeful about? Haruka didn’t even know what Michiru and her allies wanted with her, or rather, Uranus. All she knew was that her relationships with all three of them were based on nothing but lies. Haruka felt sick and excited and scared to see Michiru again. She knew it wouldn’t be safe for Michiru to be here, but she selfishy wanted to see her. 

Haruka needed her; especially if her near future was as bleak as she anticipated.

Tomoe untied Haruka’s limbs and yanked her to her feet. She forced herself to stand, struggling to remain upright as a dizzy spell assaulted her. Tomoe pushed her onward. Haruka stumbled along behind him, a stupid smile on her face the entire way. 

Michiru was here. Michiru came for her, after the things she said. After Haruka told her to stay away. 

Michiru still came for her. 

“You said not to kill them… Why?” Haruka demanded to Tomoe. 

“Don’t worry about that.” Tomoe remained firm as he led her down dark, narrow halls. Haruka felt claustrophobic as they marched forward. The moist, earthen walls narrowed before widening again into a gaping chasm. 

Haruka feared for her life all over again. Stretching infinitely, as far as her eyes could see, was a never ending sea of hungry teeth and flailing black limbs. Haruka shook off the growing headache and fear. She had no idea what these things wanted, besides Uranus. Whatever that meant. 

Neptune would be in trouble. Her impressive water abilities, even in combination with what she’d witnessed of the others, would not be enough to destroy all of these monsters. 

“Come, the Omnivear wishes to lay its eyes upon you,” Tomoe instructed. 

Haruka was thrown forward. She fell to her knees. Instead of the neon green lighting she had grown accustomed to, crimson light streamed from a deep chasm in front of her. 

It took a good minute for Haruka’s mind to comprehend what she was looking at. 

And she still could not believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should mention that the argument, separation, and kidnapping are all loosely based on the events of the third, and final, 50 Shades installment: 50 Shades Freed.


	34. A Plague On Both Our Houses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don’t go according to plan.

**♆**

_The three of us stare into crimson eyes, determined and unyielding. Her verdant hair blows and the keys chained to her waist jingle in the evening breeze. The garnet orb resonates, seeking out its kindred talismans. My crystal stirs inside of my chest, unable to ignore the call despite my immense sorrow. The aqua mirror does not emerge, but I feel its calming presence as it responds to the garnet orb. The reminder of our unbreakable, intrinsic link warms my dampened spirit._

_Haruka’s hand finds mine, but I cannot look at her. Or Hotaru._

_The Time Keeper genuflects in time to catch our daughter, running toward her with dripping eyes. My breath catches in my throat at the tender scene. Our Hotaru, now a lanky adolescent, throws herself at Sailor Pluto._

_She’s tall, now. Tall enough to cradle Setsuna’s head against her chest and press her chin against Setsuna’s bowed crown._

_Young and emotional as she is, Hotaru does not conceal her pain and confusion. “Why do you have to go, Setsuna-mama?”_

_Our Hotaru… So sweet and kind in her mortal form. Completely divorced from the indomitable harbinger of death persona embedded within her._

_Still kneeling, Pluto slightly pulls away. Elbow bent, her gloved hand strokes Hotaru’s fine raven locks. “As Sailor Saturn, you never hesitate to swing your glaive in order to preserve the balance of life and death. The Space-Time Gate is my sacred duty, which I have neglected for too long.”_

_Hotaru sniffs and wipes a stray tear away. “But… When will we see you again?”_

_Sailor Pluto casts a stray glance in our direction. The timeless ache, the cross that has always been hers alone to bear, is raw. A gaping wound flayed open for the world to see. Haruka’s hand stiffens in mine and she gasps, unprepared for the rare display of Pluto’s immortal burden._

_With the hand not supporting the garnet rod, Pluto reaches down and unclasps one of the Space-Time Keys dangling from her waist. She proffers the ornate magical key, holding it in such a way that it splits her stern visage._

_“Whenever you wish, Firefly.” Setsuna’s voice is soft with maternal adoration and grief. “Provided Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa are with you.”_

_“Okay.” Hotaru forces a smile on her pale face. She is not any happier than Haruka and I, but the symbolic gift and the promise of future visits lightens her mood considerably._

_Pluto returns to her full height. She takes Hotaru’s hand. The other half of our family approaches us. Clutching the key against her chest, Hotaru remains silent as her three parents stare at each other with subdued versions of the remorse and confusion tangled between them._

_“Why do you have to go?” Haruka pressed for the hundredth time since Setsuna disclosed her decision over a week ago. “Why now?”_

_Setsuna isn’t going to answer. She hasn’t yet, and she won’t now. Haruka is stubborn, angry, and feeling somewhat betrayed. And instead of coming to terms with her emotions and admitting that Pluto is simply doing what she must to ensure the safety of the Moon Kingdom, she is projecting._

_“It is my duty, Haruka. You of all people must understand.”_

_“We deserve a better answer than that. We’re your family!”_

_Pluto’s left eye twitches, ever so slightly. She looks down at Hotaru and speaks. “I sense a great disturbance. The Space-Time Gate must be protected. A duty I cannot perform remotely.”_

_This disclosure is the most candid I believe Setsuna has ever been when discussing future possibilities. Haruka isn’t nearly as satisfied with the revelation as I am. She grunts, but doesn’t pull away when Setsuna gently embraces her and presses their foreheads together._

_“You don’t have to worry about Hotaru. We’ll take care of her,” Haruka hoarsely speaks as Pluto disengages with a distant smile._

_“I know.”_

_Setsuna stands before me. Her intimidating height and the ancient power of Chronos combine to create a mysterious, terrifyingly beautiful Sailor Guardian. To my surprise, she leans down and places a chaste kiss on my lips._

_It is not just a display of affection. It is so much more. A kiss of unrealized potentials and futures. A kiss of uncertainty and parting._

_A farewell kiss._

_Sailor Pluto steps back. Staff raised, she beseeches the magnificent power of Chronos. Summoning the energies of space and time and the Underworld, a sweeping vortex encircles her._

_I struggle to see Setsuna through my whipping hair and stinging tears. Hotaru reaches out for her, yelling at the top of her lungs. But her voice cannot compare to the wailing winds summoning Pluto back to the gate._

_A flash of dark energy… And Pluto is gone._

**♆**

Streams of sparkling light decorated the starless night. Aquamarine, violet, sapphire, and burgundy streaks were the only visible proof of their presence as they flew at breakneck speed. 

Sailor Neptune turned to look at her comrade as they flew through the night sky like shooting stars. Sailor Pluto was to her right, staring straight ahead as her voluminous hair fluttered behind her in the wind. Michiru couldn’t help but wonder how much of these events Pluto foresaw. The burden of foresight, having premonitions of events that may come to pass yet not knowing exactly how to prevent them, gave Michiru a dose of much-needed perspective. 

No matter her personal struggles, the magnitude of Pluto’s duty would always outweigh hers. 

Pluto remained stern as the Dromedons disguised as Cyprine and Ptilol attempted to explain the history of their species and how they had invaded the Space-Time Gate. 

Michiru was struggling to concentrate. She had already learned most of the details through the surreal link she accidentally shared with Cyprine, but she needed to pay attention. 

As usual, her mind kept wandering to Haruka. Given everything she had seen, Michiru knew the Dromedons would not kill her. They couldn’t. Killing Haruka would nullify the last twenty one years of patience and planning. Despite using this as reassurance, Michiru was beside herself with concern and regret. If the Dromedons were desperate enough to kidnap Haruka, there was no telling what extreme measures they were willing to take to instigate Uranus’ awakening. 

Then there was the matter of their Supreme Beings unavoidable corruption. The slow descent into madness. The crumbling of structure and morality, threatening to tear away at every last shred of decency this species once possessed. 

If Uranus awakened before Neptune and Pluto arrived, well… Michiru did not want to consider the chain of events that might follow. 

_Uranus… I’ll be there soon._

“...The poison spread through our galaxy faster than a virus. It killed everything,” Ptilol, who was flying on Setsuna’s opposite side, was explaining the chain of events Michiru had already witnessed. “As far as we could tell, it killed everything... Except us.”

“Death would have been a mercy,” Cyprine, to Michiru’s left, continued. “It turned us into the hideous creatures you saw. Once the Omnivear was infected by the strange parasite, that was the end of our species and culture. The poison turned us into ravaging, desperate nomads… Looking for a new home with no regard for other species and planets.”

“But what are you? What do you look like? What are your names? Did you possess these abilities before?” Pluto pressed. 

Michiru could tell the wealth of knowledge Pluto was oblivious to until now disturbed her.

“In Andromeda, our species was known as the Equus-Lator,” Cyprine answered. The foreign language had a lilting, pitched accent Michiru quite liked. “I think the best way to describe our physical features would be… Hmm… Something like what you might call a Centaur. At birth we have six legs. But with age and wisdom we grow larger and obtain more legs. We become faster and stronger. Those with at least twenty legs are placed on what you might consider an elder council.”

“The Omnivear… The original. The oldest of our kind… It has over one hundred legs. And is thousands of years old. All Equus-Lator are born from it,” Ptilol spoke with both reverence and sadness. “Once the creature invaded it, the disease took no time spreading through our species.”

Centaurs with countless legs. Michiru closed her eyes. The thought took her back through her subconscious journey, where she witnessed the destruction of the Equus-Lator and the Andromeda galaxy. Stunning creatures, part equestrian, part humanoid, and part magic, writhing and transforming in pain as the volatile substance consumed them. Their horse-like legs became slimy limbs covered in rows of gnashing teeth. 

“And what are your names?” Pluto asked. “Cyprine and Ptilol are your assumed identities, after all.”

“We are too young to be named. Those of us who have not earned our first pair of legs are known as the Unnamed.” Cyprine frowned. “Until this war is over, being named is the least of our concerns.”

Michiru had seen visions of the naming ceremony Cyprine was referencing. Pluto slightly frowned in confusion, but did not find the topic worth pursuing. “And your powers? The regeneration? The possession?” Setsuna cast Michiru a despondent gaze. “And your ability to absorb a victim’s memories?”

“All from the poison.” Cyprine gazed down at the Earth below them. “When I was born from the Omnivear, I linked with it and learned everything I could. About our exodus. About our invasion into your solar system. About the poison we formed a symbiotic relationship with.”

Michiru gasped as a twinge of pain stabbed at her back. The lethal wound that tore at her spine, sending tendrils of poison into her body. She recalled that fateful day as if it were only yesterday. Phantom pains jarred her flight. Catching a concerned gaze from Pluto, Sailor Neptune grimaced and pushed herself onward. 

“After Sailor Neptune and Uranus were killed, their knowledge and memories were imparted upon the Omnivear. Our species has always had strong… psychological connections amongst ourselves. The Omnivear is our central hub. It is where we routinely go to acquire knowledge, sharing in a vast, open network of information. Even in our infected, horrible state, we were caught entirely off-guard when that happened. It was… unprecedented.”

“And a strategical milestone,” Michiru wryly added. 

“With what goal?” Pluto got straight to the heart of the matter. 

Ptilol turned toward the Time Keeper. She smiled behind the maroon bangs whipping in her face. “Well, the Legendary Silver Crystal, of course.”

The revelation was not news to Michiru anymore. But the simple statement widened Pluto’s eyes. Michiru could see Pluto’s mind working at incredible speed as she fit the pieces of the puzzle together. “The Silver Crystal… You think it can purify you. Eradicate the poison?”

Cyprine nodded. “When Neptune and Uranus were slain, the Omnivear saw the Silver Crystal’s seemingly limitless powers. How it can revive. And cleanse. And we saw that, when all of Sailor Moon’s allies are brought together and contribute their planet’s strength, it has unquantifiable healing abilities.”

“And that is why you have been trying to awaken Uranus all this time…” Pluto concluded. The Keeper of Time flew in silence until another thought struck her. “Then why did they attack us? Shortly after we lost Uranus and Neptune, we launched an attack on your… Omnivear. The purifying power of the Silver Crystal was not strong enough without all the Senshi present. Why, then, did your kind try to kill us? We almost lost Sailor Moon that day.”

Cyprine sighed. “The longer we are under the effects of the poison, the more deranged and detached we become. The Omnivear was the first to have become infected. And those it keeps close, the council and their advisors, are beyond reason, we think.”

“And, there are others…” Ptilol shook her head. “Others who are suicidal. Unwilling to live on as hideous beasts. They’ve lost hope for a cure.”

Michiru turned to Cyprine. She dreaded an honest answer to her question, but she forced herself to ask it. “As corrupted as they have become… Do you think they will harm Haruka?”

“They won’t kill her,” Cyrine indirectly answered. “Kaori and Tomoe and in charge of that, and they haven’t lost sight of the long-term goal, from what I have seen. Although their methods may not be entirely… orthodox.”

Neptune shot Cyprine a dangerous, frigid glare. This alien, after all, had been one of the women assigned to Haruka’s awakening; utilizing the Skyloft and perverting the dormant memories Haruka shared with Michiru. 

The serenity Michiru harbored since she was welcomed into Cyprine’s subconsciousness and witnessed their story began fading as Neptune let herself experience the fresh pain of Haruka’s anger at her betrayal and all the events leading up to it. 

“And can you explain how Michiru was able to mentally connect with you?” Pluto asked. Michiru felt her burgundy eyes studying her, warning her to keep herself in check. 

Cyprine shrugged. “That has never happened before. It was the same as when the Omnivear absorbed their memories, but in reverse. I’ve never known that to be possible. But, we’ve never mentally connected with beings of your stature before now. When Haruka touched my forehead, I felt…” she paused, looking insecure, “I felt her confusion and sadness.”

Pluto continued staring Sailor Neptune down, undoubtedly expecting her to contribute. Michiru was still overwhelmed; sorting through the information in her mind and trying to formulate a plan. But with so many unknown variables regarding where they were keeping Haruka and what Kaori and Tomoe were planning to do to her, Michiru couldn’t formulate any plans beyond finding her soulmate. 

The sky had transitioned to warm shades of blue. It was late morning in this part of the world; a jarring shift from the late evening of New York City. 

“We’re almost there,” Ptilol warned. 

“What’s the plan?” The Keeper of Time pressed. The three women flying around her said nothing as Neptune and the Witches pondered their options. 

“I think we can talk Kaori and Tomoe into giving Haruka back. There’s no reason for us to be so antagonizing toward each other anymore. When Michiru and I linked, I also felt Michiru’s memories from this life. All the fear and danger we caused… Our lost and violent allies tried killing you. And others, like us, played with your minds and bodies. So, I’m sorry.”

“But we have common ground, now.” Ptilol perked up. “We all want the same thing. There’s no reason we can’t work together.”

“We shall see.” Michiru clenched her jaw. It was not that she disagreed; after everything she learned she also believed there could be a way to resolve things peacefully without involving the princess and their allies stationed throughout the galaxy. 

But she would not commit to anything. If discussions went south Michiru would do whatever it took to get Haruka out alive. Whether Haruka even wanted her. Whether Pluto disagreed or not. Michiru felt for the linked chain around her waist. The syringes dangling from it were a small comfort; insurance in case violence was the only resolution.

She would kill each and every one of them if she had to. The stoic stare from Pluto indicated she knew exactly what Michiru was thinking. 

Ptilol and Cyprine took a sudden nosedive toward the Earth’s surface. The Sailor Scouts followed closely behind. Skirts and bows ruffled violently as they rocketed toward a crescent-shaped lake. 

“This is where we fought one of your kind before,” Setsuna shouted above the roaring wind. “My allies scried this entire island after the encounter. We found nothing.”

Michiru flew faster and harder. She was too concentrated on saving Haruka to absorb the impressive tropical scenery around them. She had already seen it through Cyprine’s memories; Mount Rinjani, the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia. Segara Anak, the lake they were fast approaching, was natural camouflage for the underground labyrinth where the Equus-Lator kept their Supreme Being hidden. 

They plunged into the water with impressive velocity. A slight ripple on the water’s surface was the only evidence of their presence. Cyprine and Ptilol led them to the rocky floor. The black starbursts on their foreheads sparkled in sync. 

In response to the alien magic, the green and blue rocks wobbled. Neptune watched the optical illusion shimmer before revealing a hole large enough for all of them to swim through. The chasm was too dark for sight. Pluto, most likely on the verge of suffocation, did not hesitate in following the Equus-Lator into the unknown. 

Neptune guarded their flank. Confident they were not being followed, she swam behind their guides into the underwater cavern. Pluto’s garnet orb shimmered, casting a sphere of scarlet light around them. The red luminescence revealed their surroundings. For now there was only slick bedrock and moss. There were no fish or other signs of nautical life.

After a series of underwater twists and turns, they broke the water’s surface. Pluto gasped for air as they climbed onto land. Neptune followed closely behind, ignoring the bitter cold of her wet fuku and the underground cavern. 

Four different pathways branched from this opening. Bulbs of phosphorescent green light punctured the ground, casting a dim fog around their ankles. An eternal, disturbing echo rattled through the caverns. The angry roar of the possessed aliens stabbed at Neptune’s phantom pain. 

Pluto cast her a sideways glance. 

“We should check the Omnivear’s chamber first. This way.” Ptilol pointed her gold staff toward the hollowed path to their right. 

Cackling laughter from behind overpowered the background noise. The group turned around, gasping when they laid eyes upon the two figures emerging from the darkness. 

Neptune and Pluto brandished their talismans. Michiru grimaced and hovered her free hand over the syringes hanging at her hip. 

Cyprine and Ptilol pushed past them, creating a wall between the Sailor Senshi and their company. 

“You weren’t supposed to bring guests…” the first figure sneered as she came into view.

“Eudial!” Pluto exclaimed, surprised to see another familiar figure from their past. 

“Where is Haruka?” Michiru demanded. 

“We think it’d be best if you didn’t interrupt…” The figure accompanying Eudial stepped into the light.

“Star Fighter!” Pluto scowled at the formidable foe. 

Michiru curled her upper lip. She didn’t have time to waste on these doppelgängers. Haruka was here, somewhere, and whether or not she was waiting to be saved, Michiru was going to find her. The power and rage of the Deep Seas filled her. 

“Stop this!” Cyprine begged. “We don’t have to fight!”

The tall, lanky form of Sailor Star Fighter stepped forward. Her long black ponytail draped over her shoulder. Despite knowing this was a clever disguise, Michiru revisited her memories of the three Starlights. The Outer Scouts, particularly Uranus, always had a contentious, troublesome relationship with them. Seiya, especially. 

Was this another in a long line of ghosts hoping to fuel Uranus’ slumbering rage?

“We don’t know what you’re playing at by bringing them here prematurely,” Star Fighter accused their allies. “But we have our orders!”

“Any who would dare go against the Omnivear’s orders deserve death!” Eudial extended her left hand toward them. A swirling disc of flames grew, ready to fly forward and engulf them.

“The poison has corrupted you! Listen to yourself!” Ptilol shouted. 

Pluto raised her staff in preparation to battle, but Neptune grabbed her arm. To answer her quizzical expression, Michiru shook her head. “This isn’t our battle.”

Let the invaders fight amongst themselves. Haruka was their only concern. 

With a curt nod, Pluto turned away. The two Senshi raced toward the path Cyprine pointed out. Before reaching the exit, the Star Fighter impersonator flew down from above, blocking their path. 

“We said it’s not time yet!” Seiya yelled and raised her arm, preparing to attack. 

“What have you done to Haruka?!” Neptune yelled while racing forward. She was not stopping for anything. Their insistence on keeping the fated Senshi separated only fueled Neptune’s determination. 

Not in the mood to entertain battle with the false Star Fighter, Michiru took a preemptive strike. She raised both of her arms above her head. Summoning the mysterious powers of the bottomless oceans, she projected a swift attack. “Deep Submerge!”

The attack was not extremely powerful; Michiru knew she could not destroy this enemy without injecting the serum into it. Her only aim was to remove it from her path. Waves of magical waters swept Seiya from her feet. Michiru directed the turbulent stream toward Eudial, sending them on a course straight for collision. 

Neptune was rushing, and uninterested in watching her sporadic plan carry out. As she and Pluto ran, they heard commotion and cursing behind them. 

“Hurry! We’ll take care of these two!” Ptilol yelled to them.

Michiru and Setsuna sprinted down the dim green caverns. The distant roars and moans of the Dromedons ascended upon them. Within seconds, the narrow confines of their hallway branched into a web of trails. Panic sprouted when Neptune realized they did not know where they were going. 

If they weren’t careful, they could aimlessly wander these tunnels forever. 

“Where is Haruka?” Pluto asked as she dashed to her right. A split second of uncertainty on Neptune’s behalf was all it took for the Time Guardian to force her into focus. “Think, Neptune! When you were inside Cyprine’s memories; where are they hiding the Omnivear?”

Sailor Pluto was right. If they were going to save Haruka, Michiru needed to concentrate. She abruptly stopped. Closing her eyes, she retreated deep within her subconscious, sinking further and further until she found the slumbering memories once more. The revelation she experienced while unintentionally linking with Cyprine had only been a few hours ago, but the multitude of information, almost the entire evolution of the Equus-Lator, remained jumbled. There was simply too much information to sort in such a limited amount of time. 

Except now there was no choice. Michiru needed to find the heart; the central being from which all of this chaos erupted. Haruka was there. She had to be there. And if she wasn’t, Michiru was prepared to do whatever it took to find out where she was. Her desperate reach of a plan to put an end to this peacefully would amount to a mere fairy tale if they refused to relinquish Haruka. 

Pushing those distracting thoughts away, Michiru concentrated on the task at hand. She released all traces of herself, becoming absorbed in Cyprine’s memory. Michiru had been here; through the collective Mind’s Eye of the Equus-Lator. She had explored this lair. Traveled these suffocating halls. Bowed before the Omnivear. Michiru focused on the distinct energy signature she felt emanating from the powerful being in her vision, and searched for it in her physical form. 

The foreign lifeforce, much different than anything in their solar system, permeated the air. Now that she knew what she was looking for, the energy was obvious. The volatile poison transformed it to an awful, disgusting aura, exuding a frightening amount of deathy power. 

The way before her was clear. 

Sailor Neptune opened her eyes. “Follow me.”

Without a word, Pluto resumed the pace just behind her. Michiru led them through the twisting tunnels without pause. The unnerving conversations of their adversaries grew louder and the halls thinner. Michiru pushed her body harder and faster; running at a pace she ironically considered might rival Haruka’s. Pluto’s labored breaths behind her were the only indication she was still following closely behind. 

Michiru felt the ever growing presence of the Omnivear. It reached out to her, extending a mental invitation. She felt its invisible pull, beckoning her with a sensation akin to excitement. The entity’s reaction to her presence would have given her pause under normal circumstances. 

Sailor Neptune knew what to expect, but the realization of her visions knocked the breath from her lungs. 

Pluto abruptly stopped beside her, gasping at the unparalleled sight. “By Chronos…” 

A vast, wide chasm stretched on for miles before them. The endless underground network had a high bedrock ceiling, casting only shadows on the congregation below. A boundless sea of writhing black flesh and snapping teeth extended as far as their eyes could see. Dromedons of every shape and size inhabited the nest. The small, toothy slugs slithered around their feet. Michiru suppressed a groan as the inconvenient pain in her back bloomed once more. 

Not about to let a minor inconvenience like pain inhibit her, she pushed onward. Michiru ran forward, wielding her mirror in one hand and a syringe in the other. She was prepared to battle her way through the thick mass of aliens. 

Yet as the Sailor Senshi approached the enemy, the crowd thinned. In fact, they were intentionally carving a path for them. Michiru paused, wondering what their aim was. Her resolute gaze stared to the end of the path laid out for them. 

Neptune’s feet cemented to the floor. She involuntarily held her breath. Her crystal’s light pulsed, calling out to its slumbering mate. 

Uranus. No, not Uranus. Rather, her latest personal, was kneeling on the ground. Tomoe stood behind her. WIth one hand on the back of Haruka’s neck and the other clenching a fistful of her hair, he was forcing her face over the cusp of a gaping chasm. Crimson light glowed from the hole. 

Michiru knew exactly what was down there. 

Despite the deafening cacophony of sound, Sailor Neptune heard her lover’s exhausted, confused shouting. 

“I don’t understand!” Haruka shouted. “Get me away from that fucking thing!”

Haruka’s clothes were drenched in blood and sweat. Shame and pity clouded Michiru. 

She had failed. 

Her mission, to protect Haruka, was an abject disaster. She let Haruka slip from her grasp, all thanks to her own self-pity and inability to remain focused on her mission. As she had countless times before, Michiru let her feelings for Haruka cloud her judgment. 

And now, because she faltered and let Haruka race away in anger, Haruka was in danger. 

Michiru steeled her resolve. Uranus hadn’t awakened. She could salvage the entire operation if she played her cards right. 

“Look who’s here!” 

Michiru stiffened when the loathsome vermillion figure came into view. Kaori emerged from the thick swarm. The foreboding presence in Haruka’s life, the woman whose very presence turned Michiru’s stomach, was within her grasp. Michiru tightened her grip on the syringe. 

“Kaori… I’ll kill you!” Michiru lunged, but Pluto’s firm hand on her shoulder halted her. 

“Neptune, stop!” Pluto yelled. Michiru snapped her head back, unable to sort through her fury. 

“Look around…” Setsuna whispered. Neptune hesitated, but she obeyed. A quick survey of their surroundings told her what Pluto was thinking.

There were thousands of corrupted Equus-Lator. And only two of them. 

This was not a battle they could win. 

Michiru took a deep breath. She tried looking at Haruka, but Kaori blocked her view. The disguised alien’s black dress appeared to have a life of its own; undulating and crawling about her pale flesh. Upon closer inspection, Neptune realized she was covered in a fleshy layer of slugs. 

“You were supposed to wait until _after_ Uranus awakened…” Kaori drawled. Her thin eyebrows arched as she looked the two Sailor Guardians over. “You thought you could destroy us with a handful of those… poisons? How quaint.”

“Stop this!” Neptune screamed above the constant alien roar. “We all want the same thing.”

“Michiru?” A weak voice called to her from behind Kaori. 

Michiru’s composure cracked at the sound of her eternal partner’s voice. She opened her mouth to beg her forgiveness, but Kaori had other plans. 

“Do we?” Kaori interrupted the reunion. “Because frankly, Sailor Neptune, I don’t believe you have the slightest idea what we want.”

Desperate to be closer, to see Haruka’s face, Neptune took a tentative step forward. “You want the poison gone. And you believe the Legendary Silver Crystal, backed by the power of the eight guardian planets, can purify you. We want to help you!” 

Kaori sneered. She turned her back to them as Tomoe approached, dragging Haruka to her feet. 

“Haruka!” Neptune’s protective instincts kicked in. She ran forward, ignoring Pluto’s warning, and only stopped when Kaori pulled Haruka to her. She grabbed both sides of Haruka’s face, forcing the blonde to look at Sailor Neptune.

The emotions on Haruka’s face were complicated. There was strength and weakness. Anger and love. Pride and desperation. Whatever torture she had been subjected to since being kidnapped, she had refused to let it break her. She was as indomitable and unstoppable as a tornado. 

Not to mention stubborn.

MIchiru was grateful for Haruka’s stubbornness now more than ever.

“I’m not convinced…” Kaori began. 

Michiru watched the disgusting creatures crawling along Kaori’s body. Inch by inch they began creeping down her arm, drawing precariously close to Haruka’s face. “You see… We want Sailor Uranus to awaken. We _need_ her to awaken. With every day that passes… This parasite infecting our Omnivear grows stronger. It will kill it, eventually. And, consequently, kill all of us…”

Neptune fought against every fiber in her being. Not going for Haruka went against ever instinct she had. Her blood, her starseed, her heart; they all yearned to save Haruka. 

But she had to be smart. She had to be patient. 

“We will talk to our Princess. We will help save your species,” Pluto, the solemn negotiator, offered evenly. 

“Will you?” Kaori challenged. Her violet eyes turned to glare at Michiru. “In case you’ve forgotten… We have all of your memories from your previous life. We know you tried discouraging Uranus from assuming her birthright and awakening before. Why should we believe you would do otherwise now?”

“Because now there is more at stake!” Neptune answered honestly. Her cerulean eyes bore into Haruka’s. There was no telling how much of this conversation she understood. Her jaw was firm. Her eyes narrow and untrusting. If they survived this, there was still a very real chance Haruka would walk away from her forever. 

“Maybe that’s true…” Kaori’s sharp fingernail scraped along Haruka’s jaw. The prisoner tried not to react, but Michiru could see the disdain in her stormy eyes. “But I’ve wasted years on this imbecile, and we can’t afford to wait any longer!”

“No!” Neptune and Pluto shouted in sync. Throwing caution to the wind, they sprinted, closing the few yards of space between them and Haruka. Michiru raised the syringe, prepared to strike Kaori as Pluto advanced upon Tomoe. 

But they were not fast enough. 

Tomoe forced one of the small parasites into Haruka’s mouth. 

“Haruka!” 

Haruka’s eyes bulged. A sickening, repulsive gag filled the ominous silence. 

Stunned and petrified beyond reasoning, Michiru’s heart sank when the shell of the woman she loved for thousands of years crumbled before her. 

A deafening explosion, paired with obsidian light, erupted from Haruka’s body. 

“Garnet Ball!” Pluto cast the spell in a last-second effort to shield herself and Neptune from the blast. Their bodies, trapped inside the protective sphere, flew back dozens of feet. The spell was no match for the transformative magic of the poisoned Equus-Lator. 

Neptune and Pluto tumbled and rolled along the moist ground. Michiru felt the garnet orb’s spell fade right before she crashed into the floor. Her entire body twitched and ached. The phantom wound, especially, contracted and twinged. There was a sharp ringing, drowned out by the surprised cries of the aliens. 

There was only darkness. Neptune sought out her eyelids, forcing them open. From her prone position on the ground, a protruding green sphere blocked her sight. The glowing light blinded her at first. As she regained her bearings and focused, Michiru could see her surroundings reflected on the orb. 

Monsters. So many monsters. Victims of circumstance, seeking out a cure and a new galaxy to call home. She couldn’t blame them. 

And she wouldn’t have. 

If it weren’t for one small detail. 

They had made the mistake of targeting her Haruka. 

Haruka...

Fueled by the righteous anger coursing through her veins, Michiru forced herself upright. Dark, sinister magic stained the vast cavern. The green bulbs casting light from the floor were drowned out. 

Neptune looked to where Haruka last stood. 

Except now… She wasn’t Haruka at all. 

Endless raven hair stretched across the floor, enveloping every Dromedon in its wake. A flowing black dress. Purple eyes. 

Instead of an inverted black moon, a throbbing starburst seared itself onto her forehead. 

“Mistress 9!” Pluto shouted in disbelief. 

Michiru couldn’t speak. She hadn’t simply lost the will; she had forgotten how. 

Haruka was gone. 

Kaori walked along the floor of ebony hair. Her shrilling laughter penetrated the cave, but Michiru heard nothing. She paused next to Mistress 9, who remained eerily silent as she spoke. 

“And now what will you do, Sailor Senshi? Destroy one of your own kind?” Kaori baited with sadistic glee. 

“It must be done!” a third Senshi shouted from behind. 

Barely conscious above the fog of despondence, Michiru did not respond. She barely registered the voice at all. Head hung low, Sailor Neptune did not struggle against the waning strength of her transformation. For the second time within a day, she was losing sight of herself without Uranus to guide her.

“Welcome, Sailor Mars.” Tomoe stood to Mistress 9’s left.

“Mars!” Pluto shouted. 

Michiru disregarded it all. There was nothing left for her anymore. No universe. No future. Without Haruka or Uranus, her crystal would diminish until it simply ceased to exist. 

Her birthright, the Moon Kingdom; none of it mattered if Uranus was not here to experience the trials and tribulations with her. 

Sailor Neptune laid down, prepared to shrivel until she was nothing more than a husk waiting to be swept away. 

Until Sailor Mars stood before her, aiming an attack straight at Mistress 9. 

The light of unwavering determination. Hope. Love. Something shimmered in Neptune’s brooch, reminding her the fight was not over and forcing her to fight. 

She couldn’t let Mars kill Mistress 9. 

She had to believe Haruka was still alive. If she didn’t fight to the very end, she was unworthy of her crystal and her love.

Burning flames cast a shadow across the crowded landscape. 

“Mars Snake Fire!” A flaming viper extended from Mars’ fingertips, twisting and coiling through the space between them and Haruka. 

“Mars, no!” Michiru scrambled to her feet.

Sailor Neptune sprinted forward, throwing herself in front of Sailor Mars’ deadly attack. 

“Neptune!”


	35. Where Have You Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka has a visitor.

**♅**

Peaceful oblivion. 

The space between death and rebirth. 

Nothing to see, hear, or smell. 

No headaches. No fear. No endless static of pointless, meandering existence. No cameras or phones or board meetings or the paparazzi’s endless hunger. 

Only peace. 

Boring, pointless, empty peace…

There was no warmth. No light. No love. 

Aquamarine ripples appeared in the darkness. The color of her hair. Her eyes. Her smile. Her energy. 

Michiru’s energy. 

Haruka needed it. Needed her. This state of unconsciousness could not be all that was left to her. 

She couldn’t be dead. No. She couldn’t be. 

Not now… not when Neptune had come to save her. Not when there were unspoken apologies and explanations between them. 

Not when Haruka had come to the realization that she didn’t care about the noise or the static. Michiru was an intrinsic part of her. From the moment they shook hands in her office, Haruka felt something stir deep inside of her. Her heart, her soul, whatever it was that gave her existence meaning— It was nothing without Michiru. 

The teal ripples spread from a focal point. In the darkness, Haruka was unsure how near or far it was. She focused on it, driving her desire to live and see Michiru again straight through it. 

Blinding white light pierced the darkness. She shied away from it. A hand flew to her eyes, blocking the light. Realizing she had her corporeal form for the first time, Haruka looked down. 

She was sitting, cross-legged, on nothing. With the darkness banished, she saw she was floating on undulating waves of white and indigo… ether? Energy? It was surreal, and if she could feel her body she knew she would have been nauseous and dizzy. 

Haruka realized she was also naked. Her limbs, her face: everything felt imaginary. This had to be a dream. Some sort of cognitive hiccup. An illusory scenario prompted by the constant strain of the headaches, stress, and torture. 

A fissure in her reality opened where the light was born. It spread, creating an illusion resembling the cockpit of a helicopter. 

Except she wasn’t in a machine. 

She was inside someone else’s body. 

Cackling laughter, around and inside, shook Haruka’s translucent body. There were screams, explosions, and most importantly, the voice she longed for above all others. 

“Mars, no!”

Haruka, or rather, the body she was habitating, watched as Neptune cut in front of their line of sight in time to block a stream of fire. Blazing orange and yellow flames licked at the screen, smothering all traces of Neptune from view. 

“Michiru!” Haruka tried screaming, but found herself incapable of controlling this vessel she was locked inside of. Her scream reverberated inside of her invisible prison walls, echoing loudly enough to bring feeling back to her ears. 

The screen shifted, following Neptune as her scorched body tumbled to the ground. The attack she had just suffered did not hold her down for long. Her white bodice and aquamarine skirt, burned at the seams, twitched as she forced herself back to her feet.

“Stop this!” A familiar voice demanded, while another woman laughed in the background. 

The woman with the garnet orb came into view. She extended her rod sideways in a protective gesture before Michiru. Haruka tried willing her field of vision to look at the threat, but she was powerless. 

“Mars, stop. Haruka is in there!” Michiru cried out while ambling forward. She stepped forward and leaned on the taller woman for support. There was no doubt she was wounded from the direct hit, but her face was impassioned and angry. 

“I’m sorry, Neptune… But we all know she’s gone. The best thing we can do is put her out of—“

“You won’t touch her!” Neptune sprung into action. With strength betraying her injury, she shoved the woman protecting her out of the way. 

“Oh, how entertaining! Do be careful not to kill each other, dears!” Kaori chortled. 

“I will destroy all of you to protect her!” Neptune hollered while raising her arms. Haruka’s eyes finally turned toward Michiru’s target. 

“And I will do whatever it takes to protect this planet.” It was the magical woman controlling fire. That girl. Rei Hino. 

Haruka knew her. She knew all of them. 

And, she realized through her confusion and stupor, she didn’t want any of them to die. 

Haruka struggled to her feet. Controlling these ethereal limbs was almost impossible. But she couldn’t give up. She had to stop them. Resistance, as if she were wallowing through a mudpit, held her back. 

She persisted, not giving up until she found herself pressed against the mysterious window. Looking down, she could see them so clearly. If she could reach her arms through the barrier, she could almost touch them. 

Yet they might as well have been worlds away. 

“Stop! I’m alive! I’m in here!” She futilely called out into the void of her personal chamber. Haruka pounded her fists against the window. The translucent barrier rippled around her fists, but otherwise her pleas accomplished nothing. 

“Deep Submerge!”

Haruka stared, dumbfounded, as a crashing tsunami appeared out of the ether around Neptune. In the same fashion as the battle in her house, the magical water formed a jet stream. Following the direction of Neptune’s hands, it attacked Mars. Haruka was awestruck by the undine beauty and her fearsome power. The rage of the Deep Seas filled the darkness, ready to engulf the fire maiden. 

“What a fine mess this is.”

A voice from behind startled Haruka. She jerked her head around, finding herself face to face with…

Herself?

The figure floating in the abyss was her. She could have been looking in a mirror, if it weren’t for her twin’s outfit. She was dressed like the other magical woman, except her short skirt was navy blue and her bow was yellow. Her crooked smile encompassed both annoyance and confidence. 

“Who are you?” Haruka asked, despite already knowing the answer. 

Uranus. The planet. What Haruka thought had been a misnomer when Setsuna spoke it on Michiru’s birthday a lifetime ago. 

Then Haruka thought perhaps Uranus was a dreamscape fantasy; a persona existing in her dreams interacting with Venus and Neptune. 

Uranus. A promise for the future from Michiru’s lips when Haruka removed her mask and they made love. 

Uranus rolled her eyes. “You’re telling me you really don’t know? I would’ve thought the richest CEO on the planet would be smarter than that.”

“Whatever.” Haruka turned away from the spectre. She had more important things to do than listen to this figment of her imagination insult her. She needed to find a way out of her prison. She needed to stop Neptune before she either killed someone or got herself killed. 

The penetrating voice of their vessel overwhelmed Haruka’s senses once more. “Don’t get in the way! Let them fight!”

Long black tendrils of what looked like hair violently whipped around her field of vision. The woman who must be Setsuna was swooped up in the bizarre display. Her rod went crashing to the ground. Setsuna kicked her legs against the impossibly long black hair constricting her body. She was lifted dangerously high. The emerald bun on the top of her head grazed the cavern ceiling. 

“Why are you doing this?” Setsuna shouted to whoever would listen down below. Haruka strained to catch a glimpse of Michiru, but found her view of the battle blocked by her mysterious doppelgänger.

“Listen,” Uranus began in a patronizing tone while crossing her arms over her chest. “We both know who’s going to win that fight. But the princess won’t be happy if she kills Mars. She’s got a soft spot for Mars. And we sure as hell can’t stay in this body, you know.”

“No I don’t know!” Haruka shouted back, not caring that her outburst echoed at deafening decibels. “So either enlighten me or get out of my way!”

“Okay.” Uranus held up a gloved hand. “But we don’t have a lot of time, so you’re getting the abridged version.”

“Fine.” Haruka was already aggravated with this alternate version of herself. “You’re Uranus. And me. We’re one of them, somehow?”

Uranus nodded as if she were entertaining a child. 

“Then where have you been all this time?” Haruka growled. “You were watching all this time? Letting me be confused and fucked up with those fucking headaches!? When I—we—could have been helping? And you let those aliens take advantage of me! And you let me fight with Michiru—“

“I didn’t have a choice!” Uranus’ enraged voice boomed. Haruka recoiled from the outburst.

The Uranus illusion paused. With considerable effort, she swallowed her rage and continued. “I couldn’t let you awaken. Because of Neptune. Remember… Our promise?”

Promise?

Haruka racked her brain, trying to pinpoint what her dreamself meant. 

Silver Millennium. The setting for the multitude of dreams and visions she’d had over the years. The masquerade ball. The vast deserts of Uranus. The endless waterfalls of Neptune. 

The balcony overlooking Neptune’s domain, where she played The Perfect Storm for the first time. The balcony where she painted in silent reverence, waiting for Uranus to arrive. 

The balcony where they made that promise. Together. 

“We promised we’d never let our relationship interfere with our duty,” Haruka spoke without really knowing what her words meant. 

“That’s right.” Uranus’ voice softened. “The enemy wants you to awaken. So I couldn’t let that happen.”

“How do you know that?” 

A flicker of impatience wrinkled Uranus’ brow. “Kaori. Tomoe. The Witches! They could’ve killed you a long time ago, but they didn’t. Not only that, but they’ve been throwing hints at you left and right for years.”

Hints? Hints about what? Haruka knew asking would only further irritate her magical clone, who was already fed up with her cluelessness. 

Haruka’s silence told Uranus she had no clue what she was talking about. 

“You know…” Uranus gave an exasperated sigh. “The submissives. The symbol. They put our symbol everywhere! Tellu designed your corporate headquarters— she put our birthright emblem on the doorknobs to your office for god’s sake! And Neptune…”

“What about her?” Haruka tentatively asked. 

“We were the same age, last time. And yet… Neptune’s starseed waited three years to return. She must have sensed…” Uranus shook her head. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t have time to explain. Just fix this.”

Haruka scoffed at this confusing, arrogant version of herself. “And how am I supposed to do that, exactly?”

Uranus turned her back to Haruka, staring out their window to the action taking place outside of their confinement. Neptune and Mars were engaged in hand to hand combat now. Arms and legs exchanged blows faster than Haruka’s eyes could follow. Neither seemed to be gaining any advantage over the other, but Neptune was on the offensive, pushing Mars backwards toward the pit where the enormous blob with hundreds of red eyes was waiting. The Omnivear. 

All the while Setsuna was bound in the air, begging them to stop. 

The expression on Uranus’ face bewildered Haruka. The illusion gazed upon their lover with affection and pride. She placed a gloved hand over the brooch in the center of her chest. 

“I tried giving Michiru what she wanted…” Uranus’ eyebrows twitched as she stared at the young woman.

“What do you mean?” Haruka asked. 

“She wanted my hands to be clean.” 

Haruka looked down at her own hands. They were soft hands. Hands belonging to a white collar businessman, not a warrior. She was no soldier. She was an orphan-turned-billionaire who couldn’t fight, much less kill. 

Yes, her dreams had shown some version of her in some alternate life—this Uranus woman before her—being charged with protecting some kingdom. And they had somehow garnered the eternal dedication and love of Neptune. 

But none of that was her. Not now. 

“Why us?” Haruka blurted. Of all the jumbled thoughts and visions in her mind that made no sense, this was the least sensical of all. “What’s so special about us?”

Uranus chuckled, her eyes never leaving Neptune. “You know… I have all our memories and even I’m not really sure. How about when all this is over, we just ask her.”

“Fine. But you never answered my question.”

Uranus tore her eyes from the battle and shrugged. “When in doubt, follow Neptune’s lead.”

“Okay…” Haruka grunted at the vague statement. “Any advice, then?”

Uranus glared at her with the fury of a thousand tornadoes. Staring at the serious mirror image of herself was unsettling beyond reason. Those stormy eyes encapsulated eons of battle and war and servitude. The only similarity they shared was undying, unequivocal love for the Deep Sea Guardian who had proved, lifetime after lifetime, that she would do anything for her. 

With grave sincerity, Uranus whispered, “appreciate her.”

Haruka blinked, and the vision of Uranus was gone. Floating in midair, where she had just stood, was a strange, ornate pen. It had a navy blue orb on the top, and featured the symbol Uranus had spoken of. 

Their symbol. The icon of their power. Their guardian planet. Their identity. The Guardian Soldier that Neptune loved, time and time again. 

It glowed, pulsating a familiar energy that beckoned her. Something in Haruka’s chest stirred in response. 

Haruka knew. Once she grabbed this magical stick, nothing would ever be the same.

Fear and uncertainty plagued her, but they could not come close to the entrancing pull of the item and her overwhelming need to get back to Michiru. 

Haruka grabbed the pen, and her mental prison was bathed in brilliant golden light. 

**♅**

_“It’s not working! Why isn’t it working?!”_

_The cries of our selfless princess pull me from the brink of death once more._

_My eyes open to find the love of my life, the one who sacrificed herself to save me from the carnage, staring at me. Glowing silver light highlights the magnificent waves of her hair and the cerulean depths of her eyes. They’re squinting, trying to hide her agony with bravery._

_As for me, I’ve moved somewhere beyond the pain. Delirium? Oblivion?_

_Neptune reaches a hand toward me. She’s laying on her front, facing me on a bed of transparent crystal. Everything is strange. Blurry. Her fuku is torn. Back stained with blood and bubbling, acidic venom._

_My memory vaguely returns. We were with Saturn. Visiting Pluto at the Space-Time Gate._

_Then they came._

_“Sailor Moon.” I hear Pluto’s voice somewhere close by. It is quiet and damning._

_That smell. What is that smell?_

_“Haruka…”_

_I try answering her call. I feel my mouth open, but no words come out._

_“I want to touch you, Haruka…” she whispers again._

_Her fingers creep towards mine. I strain. Expend every ounce of energy I can conjure to feel the warmth of her palm against mine._

_“You’re warm… Michiru…”_

_We’ve had this exchange before. Another time. Another context._

_Another failed battle strategy._

_“Haruka-san! Michiru-san! Please don’t leave!”_

_Gloved hands and tears cover our conjoined hands. Long gold tendrils circle our prone arms._

_I can’t look at her. I don’t want to look at her. I, we, failed. The enemy came and defeated us with ease._

_“Our princess is such a crybaby…”_

_“She is.”_

_Our short exchange increases the intensity of her sobs._

_“Sailor Moon!” Clattering heels approach. Even while my body slowly decays, I recognize those footsteps._

_“We have to go! Mercury’s shield isn’t holding them!”_

_“Fire… fly.” My voice is barely a croak._

_How could I let this happen? One scratch and I’m broken. Paralyzed. Nothing is working._

_An ebony flash. The looming power of death is beside me, juxtaposing Sailor Moon’s radiance._

_“Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!”_

_“I don’t look so bad… Do I?” Neptune’s poor joke falls flat. I hear her strength waning with each syllable._

_Sailor Moon’s wail rattles my chest._

_“You never look bad, Michiru-mama.” Saturn plays along. She is looking at Michiru. Her fine hair trembles. “It’s Haruka-papa who looks terrible.”_

_“Sailor Moon,” Pluto repeats. I see Neptune’s bloodshot eyes move toward her voice, but I can’t imitate her. I can’t control anything. Even my neck is frozen, pointing my head in Michiru’s direction._

_“Could the four of us have a moment alone?”_

_Pluto’s request stirs the princess into action. Sailor Moon stands. One long ponytail drapes across my arm. The other, Neptune’s. Crystalline tears burst against my flesh, sending fractals of sparkling misery to fill the emptiness between us._

_“Haruka-san. Michiru-san. You’re getting up and coming with us! You hear me?” Sailor Moon’s empty demand is futile. Her voice is bereft of hope._

_A mere scratch became a lethal wound. Our bodies can’t fight this alien poison. Even the Legendary Silver Crystal can’t reverse its effects._

_Whatever this new enemy is… It is unfathomably strong._

_We have to be here to fight. To protect the princess._

_But who am I fooling? I can’t even move. My eyelids are heavy. My eyes. And my chest. Breathing is…_

_“We will, Usagi-chan.” Neptune is the only one who can keep up the act. She smiles. That artificial, saccharine smile that might fool Sailor Moon, but not us._

_Darkness overcomes me. I don’t see the Princess’ face. But I hear her hesitance._

_“Sailor Moon!” Venus yells from the distance._

_Several scouts are shouting their signature moves. Explosions and the grating shrills of the aliens approach…_

_Stop. Don’t attack them… You’ll only make things worse…_

_Sailor Moon’s boots carry her away to assist her allies._

_“Bye… Kitten.”_

_“Uranus! Uranus!” Someone pats my face._

_“Haruka-papa!”_

_Michiru’s hand squeezes mine. A temporary shot of electricity revives me._

_“I’m… here.” I can see again. Bottomless ocean depths are staring into me. So close, yet so far. I can read every unspoken word in them. I can see every memory. I can feel every touch._

_“I guess… We won’t be needing that… key anymore.”_

_“I’ll hold onto it.” Saturn is determined and strong. Like Pluto, she is one of the cosmic authorities of life and death. There is emotion in her voice, but there is also resolute understanding. “I… I won’t swing my glaive. I’ll wait. For both of you. You’ll come back, and we’ll get revenge together!”_

_“That’s my girl…” I’m choking. There’s something in my chest. Boiling and bubbling._

_“Pluto, please…” I hear Neptune, but I can’t see her._

_Warmth presses against my body. Curves and limbs I know better than my very own. Her essences mingles with the remnants of mine; trying to rekindle the lustre in my crystal._

_“Please tell me… There is a next time…” Neptune pleads._

_A pair of lips press against my forehead. Hotaru’s light weight is suffocating. I used to carry her. I could hold her in my arms. Throw her in the air. Tackle her in the grass. Fall asleep with her stretched on top of me._

_Now, she suffocates me._

_Not that it matters._

_I’m dying._

_I’ve no choice but to accept that, now. And despite having a warrior’s death, with Neptune and my family beside me, I’m still unfulfilled._

_I can’t pass on in the darkness._

_I open my eyes again._

_She’s there. She’s always there. Watching over me or fighting beside me. She’s weak and tired, but she’s alive. Staring at me with those eyes so full of adoration and lust and energy._

_“There will always be a next time,” Pluto answers. Her voice is cracking. She’s trying to be strong. For Hotaru._

_For all of us._

_I hear sobs. But I don’t know who they belong to._

_“Did you hear that, Ruka?”_

_Michiru‘s voice. A soft, nostalgic serenade, giving me the courage and peace I need to let go._

_“Until next time...”_

_Yes…_

_Next time._

**♅**

The power of a thousand storms ripped through her. Haruka’s body became a concentrated gale, formed with Uranus’ golden magic. A torrent of lifetimes breezed through her until everything made sense again. 

Finally, her purpose had returned. 

Finally, she was whole again. 

She was Sailor Uranus. Guardian of the Moon Kingdom. One of four Outer Planetary deities charged with preserving the Milky Way from invaders. One of three talisman bearers. 

The one protected by the god of the skies. 

And, most importantly…

A wolfish grin captured her lips. 

“I’m coming, Neptune.”


	36. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Together again.

**♆**

Water and fire churned and blazed at blinding speed. Just as one soldier was on the cusp of overpowering the other, their naturally opposing elements canceled the other out. Fists of fire continuously blocked her watery attacks. Neptune’s forearms were surrounded by gauntlets of aquatic protection. They poured from her arms by command, aiming straight for Mars' chest. 

Mars crossed her arms over her violet bow. Like Neptune, her guardian element surrounded her like a shield. Steam hissed when the elements collided, forming a hazy cloud around their bodies. Despite taking a direct hit from Mars’ attack only moments ago, Neptune regained her strength and put Mars on the defensive. Mars had managed to hold her own thus far, but with every block and parry she was growing sloppier. 

One well-timed Deep Submerge, and Neptune would have her down. Temporarily, anyway. Neptune didn’t want to kill Mars, but if she persisted, she would have no other choice. 

No one was going to harm Haruka. 

No one. 

“Stop this madness!” Pluto screamed. Her voice was distant, calling down to them from afar. Neptune did not let Pluto’s pleas distract her from her mission. 

Michiru would protect Haruka, even if the threat was a fellow Sailor Senshi. 

She would protect Haruka, even if her body had been overcome by an alien and transformed into the likeness of a former nemesis. 

Mistress 9, who once slumbered inside their beloved Hotaru, now occupied Haruka’s body. The irony was not lost to Michiru. Nor was the sheer hopelessness of her situation. 

There was no known way to reverse the Dromedon symbiosis. Pluto and Mars had resulted to killing innocent humans for having the misfortune of being possessed by one. 

Neptune couldn’t waver in her resolve. Not now. She could only focus on protecting Haruka. Nothing else mattered. The possessed Equus-Lator, the Sailor Guardians, the fate of the world… 

Well, without Haruka the world was not worth saving. Haruka _was_ her world. 

“Stand down, Mars! I don’t want to hurt you!” Neptune attempted a last-ditch effort to reason with the Fire Guardian.

“Then listen to reason!” Rei grimaced and ducked out of a roundhouse kick. Neptune’s lightning reflexes followed the dodged kick with another. Mars hesitated for only a fraction of a second; but it was long enough to suffer a blow to her midriff. 

Once Neptune’s foot knocked the breath from her, she followed it up with a forceful spout that sent Mars flying. The War Senshi catapulted into the air, soaring within arm’s length of the low cavern ceiling. 

A flicker of regret tainted Michiru’s visage when she realized Mars was projected to land in the vast chasm occupied by the possessed Omnivear. The Fire Guardian’s eyes were closed and she was chanting; preparing to attack the alien brain next. 

“Mars, no!” Neptune had no time to explain. If there was any hope in saving Haruka, she believed their only chance was to purify the Omnivear. It was the Equus-Lator’s life source. If the poison corrupting it caused the disease to spread across their entire species, then surely the reverse must be true. 

And purifying their heart without the power of all the Sailor Guardians supporting the Legendary Silver Crystal and Sailor Moon proved fruitless. They needed everyone. They needed Uranus. 

She needed Uranus. 

“Evil Spirit Begone!” 

Mars swung her arm to release an ofuda. Before she could throw the charm, a tentacle made of black hair wrapped around her body. Rei cried out in surprise when her body jerked to a halt in midair. 

“Now, now.” Mistress 9 pulled Sailor Mars back towards her. 

The unending strands of hair writhed and pulsated along the ground, smothering the bulbs of bright green light. Michiru followed the rope of hair imprisoning Mars with her eyes. 

The Fire Senshi did not stop fighting against her restraints, even as Mistress 9 tossed her about like a ragdoll. Michiru looked up to Pluto, who dangled precariously high above them. Her garnet rod had been summoned back into her grasp, but she seemed conflicted about using it against any of her fellow soldiers… 

Even Haruka’s possessed body. 

Kaori and Tomoe approached Haruka’s poisoned form, gazing upon it as if it were a miraculous gift from their god. Neptune didn’t think they would harm their latest vessel, despite her uncertainty of what their exact plan was. Changing Haruka, however, and considering the very real possibility that she would be trapped in that form forever… 

Neptune ran between Mistress 9 and the two Dromedons that had caused her and Haruka the most grief. She assumed a protective stance, causing Kaori to howl with laughter and Tomoe to arch a silver eyebrow. 

“Really, now, Neptune.” Kaori waved her hand, acting as if she were holding a cigarette. “I could snap my fingers and have our entire legion descend upon you in an instant. While you are, well… quite alone, it would seem.”

If there was still a remote chance of saving her eternal partner, Neptune would fight against even these hopeless odds. She refused to let that sinking feeling, the one her unawakened self so desperately despised, overcome her. She was the Scion of the Deep Seas. She channeled the awesome power of Neptune through the palm of her hands.

“We don’t need to fight! We can help you! Reverse what you’ve done to Haruka and we will work together to heal your species!”

Tomoe stepped forward. “And what good is she to us, if she cannot awaken the power of her crystal? Sailor Moon doesn't have the power to purify all of us on her own. She’s tried. You understand, don’t you…?”

The earnest way he spoke gave her pause. His eyes bore into hers. There was no malice or discontent. He stared into her cerulean eyes, silently beseeching her. There was something he wanted her to understand. Something she needed to understand. 

A deafening roar shook the cavern walls. Small chunks of rock rained down from the ceiling. Pluto and Mars yelled out while trying to shield themselves from the debris. Crimson light, glowing from the hundred-eyed Omnivear, filled the cavern. 

Michiru’s ears rang. She clamped her hands over them. Sounds and images flooded her mind, similar to when she merged with Cyprine’s consciousness.

Neptune’s trident burned in her forehead. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the cacophony of noise resonating from their ultimate being. 

“Make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble,” Kaori directed Mistress 9 as she and Tomoe marched toward the Omnivear together. 

It was a summons. The call was weak, but Michiru felt it in her mind. 

Before Neptune could react, her entire body was squeezed and lifted into the air along her fellow Sailor Senshi. She tried turning to look at them. Pluto was most likely concealing her concern with stoicism, while Mars was undoubtedly shooting fire arrows at her with her eyes. 

“Uranus, please…” Michiru begged the raven husk that belonged to her partner. “I know you’re in there…”

“I thought you didn’t want her to awaken,” Mars snidely interrupted. 

Neptune would have shot her a deadly glare if she could. 

“What other options are left to us?” Pluto asked. 

“We should call Sailor Moon and the others to help!” Mars argued.

“No!” Michiru and Pluto shouted simultaneously. 

“No... “ Neptune shook her head. “Let me concentrate.”

The prone soldiers watched as Kaori and Tomoe knelt before their creator. The wretched, fearsome creature that had once been their glorious ruler, stirred mixed emotions in Michiru’s heart. All of the chaos, all of the death, stemmed from this hideous alien. People died, and now Haruka was probably lost to her yet again.

And yet. 

Just as Haruka was transformed and controlled by them, they, too, were helpless victims of circumstance. Whether it was her objective conscience, or the queer link she now shared with the Equus-Lator, Michiru could not find it in her heart to despise them. 

Though their backs were to them, they could see the black light of Kaori and Tomoe’s starbursts resonating. The pair were genuflecting before their supreme being. Just like when Michiru and Cyprine linked, their symbols glowed. It paled in comparison to the crimson light resonating from the Omnivear, but Michiru saw, and she knew what was happening. 

Perhaps if she concentrated enough, she could intercede. If she could welcome herself into the psychic link, she could hear the Omnivear words. Neptune could learn their plan. Or even speak to it. 

Recognizing the light, Pluto spoke. “Do you think you can imitate what happened with Cyprine?”

“I’m going to try,” Michiru said before shutting herself off from her surroundings. Eyes winced shut and ears deaf to everything but the Omnivear’s alien vernacular, Neptune channeled her entire being into it. 

There was a connection. Somehow, in her previous life’s passing, there was an exchange of energy. Of consciousness. Something magical and unprecedented; caused by the intermingling of three very unique species. 

The bearer of a Guardian Planet’s starseed. Mentally and telepathically superior Equus-Lator. And the volatile creature that obliterated an entire solar system. A link had been formed, and Neptune tried accessing it from within her confused, fractured mind. 

_”There is no reason to return to those inferior, weak forms we once considered ours…”_

No. That couldn’t be right. Cyprine said they wanted the Silver Crystal to purify them. To return them to their former selves. 

_”But Supreme Being, you said—“_

_”We will embrace these new powers the heavens bestowed upon us. And take this planet as our own.”_

The damning words resonated in Michiru’s mind. Years of being under the parasitic poison’s influence must have finally taken its toll. The collective mind and soul of the Equus-Lator had collapsed, and was now indiscernible from the poison controlling it. 

Michiru heard everything she needed to hear. She mentally divorced herself from the link. Returning to reality was like taking a disorienting breath of fresh air after holding it for too long. With a grim expression, she watched Kaori and Tomoe rise from their knees. The pair shared a glance, silently checking the other’s resolve, before approaching the Sailor Scouts. 

The sinking feeling Neptune had managed to keep at bay for the last few hours returned with a vengeance. 

The Omnivear, and therefore, their entire species, had succumbed to evil. They resorted to conquest and death, as so many alien species before them. Judging by the grave expressions on Kaori and Tomoe’s faces, part of them did not want to go through with this. 

They had seen Michiru and Haruka’s memories. 

They knew no invaders had succeeded in overtaking Earth and the Legendary Silver Crystal for themselves. But they could not find it within themselves to question the will of their creator. 

“Change of plans.” Kaori straightened her arms before her, summoning the golden staff they recognized as belonging to the original Kaolinite all those years ago. 

“What are they doing?” Mars asked, growing anxious as black static electricity crackled from the tip of her staff. 

Like Mars, Neptune’s arms were trapped in her bindings. Michiru strained her neck, turning to look at Mistress 9 below them. The disturbingly beautiful villain returned her gaze with twisted mirth. Neptune groaned when she was whipped forward, forced by her constraints to stare into Mistress 9’s dark orbs. 

“Look closer, Neptune,” she shrilled. “You won’t find any trace of your precious Uranus in here.”

The hair tightened around her waist, making breathing nearly impossible. Neptune accepted her challenge. She focused on the spectre’s ebony eyes, seeking out any trace, any hint, of Haruka’s stormy eyes and spirit. 

Michiru refused to believe Haruka was gone. She searched for the familiar whorls of teal and grey, convinced they must be hiding somewhere beneath the surface. 

Yet the longer she searched, the more despondent she became. The warrior, the personification of wind, the ocean’s constant companion, was nowhere to be found. 

If Neptune could admit to sharing anything with her unawakened, naive self, it was her utter disinterest in continuing on without Haruka. Like the beach after the helicopter crash, Michiru was resigned to giving up the fight. 

She could have lived on with Haruka hating her, so long as she was alive and well. 

But this? 

“Don’t worry, we’ll put you out of your misery soon enough,” Mistress 9 cackled. 

The ghost from their past soon made good on her word. Black lightning traveled the length of her hair, shocking the imprisoned Senshi. All three of them cried out in agony as the magic shocked them to their core. 

“Sailor Moon…” Mars strained between waves of static that would have killed any normal human. “Please…”

Neptune’s bottom lip bled as she big back her screams. The crimson glow of Mars’ forehead resonated before they were shocked again. 

“Yes…” Kaori happily purred from behind. 

Michiru did not turn to look at her. She did not have the energy, nor the desire. What was the point? She knew what was coming. 

Torture. Followed by death. 

“Summon your princess,” Tomoe goaded. “Unfortunately, you’ll all be dead by the time she arrives.”

Unlike Neptune, Pluto was not resigned to death. Michiru felt the garnet orb’s powers resonating behind her. Being the only one of them able to use her arms and attacks, Pluto was prepared to meet Kaolinite’s magical assault with one of her own. 

“Now die!” Kaolinite shrieked.

“Sailor Moon, hurry!” Mars screamed above the sudden escalation of noise. Lightning crackled, Dromedons roared, and Tomoe began howling at a disturbing pitch. 

Neptune braced herself for the impact. 

“Dead… Scream!”

The blow never came. Neptune turned in time to watch as the violet sphere from Pluto’s attack collided with bolts of lightning shooting from Kaori’s staff. The opposing forces created an immense explosion, sending loose debris and bodies sailing. 

Neptune crashed toward the ground. She was vaguely aware of a golden light bathing her before she fell unconscious. 

_“Neptune… Neptune!”_

The Deep Sea Soldier groaned. She couldn’t say how long she blacked out for; only that the sliver of oblivion had been long enough to fool her into believing she was dead. 

“Come on, Neptune! Wake up!”

Someone was shaking her. A pair of warm, firm hands squeezed and shook her arms. 

These hands. She knew these hands. 

They protected her. Sheltered her. Fought alongside her. Made love to her. Every lifetime was different, but these hands were always the same. 

“I’m sorry, Haruka…” Michiru muttered. 

Maybe she was dead, after all. The peace of death, combined with the illusion of Uranus’ warmth surrounding her, certainly felt like heaven. 

“Hey… You did your best to keep our promise. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

Promise? The Silver Millennium promise to always prioritize their destinies as Sailor Guardians before their love? 

Michiru could think of no other promise she could be referring to… but that couldn’t be right. There was no way Haruka could know that…

“Open your eyes, Neptune…”

But opening her eyes meant abandoning the comforts of her dream. 

Despite her immediate desire, Michiru obeyed. Her eyelids cracked open. She was blinded by steady, brilliant light. Her senses were flooded with the radiant and magnificent aura that could only belong to her eternal partner. 

Sailor Uranus, protected by the god of the Heavens, had finally returned to her. 

As if to confirm the suspicion she dared not voice, Neptune’s brooch resonated. Aquamarine light pulsated from her body, matching Uranus’ innate aura. Their crystal burned with the power of a destiny fulfilled. 

Still blinded by the magnitude of their planets’ radiance, Neptune pushed herself from the ground. She flung her arms around Uranus’ kneeling form, instinctively knowing the height and curves of her body. 

Neptune’s head leaned against Uranus’ chest. The gentle thrum of her brooch. The accelerated pounding of her heart. Neptune sank into the ocean breeze that radiated from Uranus’ crystal. 

Wrapped in the embrace of her soulmate, Michiru couldn’t believe she thought she could survive an entire lifetime without this. 

“Hey.” The hands that even her unawakened self recognized gently pulled her face away. Neptune was guided to her feet. Dazed, she followed her lover’s lead until she found herself standing and looking up into the eyes she had waited years to see. 

Their synced crystals dimmed enough for Neptune to comfortably gaze upon Uranus’ face. The Sky Warrior cupped Neptune’s cheek and shook her head. “I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble. I’m such an idiot.”

“Uranus—“

“And your idiocy will cost you!” Kaori’s voice interrupted their reunion. Her statement was accented by the chilling roar of hundreds of corrupted Equus-Lator. 

Neptune and Uranus turned to look at Kaolinite. Beside her was Tomoe, except he was no longer burdened by his human form. He was a monstrous, hideous creature; an enormous Dromedon, made of gnashing teeth and countless limbs. 

“You!” Uranus snarled when she recognized the woman who spent this entire lifetime haunting her. Overcome by her lust for revenge, Uranus charged at Kaolinite. 

“Uranus, wait!” Neptune called to her, but her plea fell on deaf ears. The Space Sword was already in her grasp and poised to attack. 

Neptune’s hands flung to her hips, looking for the makeshift chain and syringes she was wearing. She looked down, visually confirming what her hands felt. 

The belt was gone. It must have fallen off when she tumbled to the ground. 

Cursing beneath her breath, she quickly surveyed her surroundings for their comrades. Pluto and Mars were lost among the sea of Dromedons, who were awakening to the Omnivear’s new plan. A surge of enemies prepared to surround them. 

The outlook of their near future was growing exceedingly grim by the second. Neptune was spared no time to formulate a plan. Whatever she was going to do, she needed to do it now. 

Steeling her resolve, the Deep Sea Soldier decided to do what she was destined for: fight alongside Sailor Uranus. Haruka had a generous lead, so Michiru sprinted behind her to guard her flank.

As Uranus approached her foes with the speed of an angry gale, Kaolinite’s laughter overpowered the collective roar of her allies. Her vermillion locks floated above her. Michiru startled when the vision of their former nemesis transmogrified into a four-legged beast. 

Gusts of magical wind circled Kaori. In a matter of seconds, she became an unidentifiable monster. Her long, orange mane flowed behind her as she stormed like a haunted black werewolf toward the Senshi. Aside from the hair, nothing else resembled the woman they knew. Her entire body was lupine and black, and her violet eyes were glowing red orbs. 

The new beast’s enlarged muscles rippled as she prepared to pounce. Not one to be outpaced, Sailor Uranus raised her sword and swung. 

“Space Sword Blaster!”

A beam of energy sliced the ground between Uranus and the monster. The beast was faster than she appeared, and easily dodged the charged attack. The ground cracked from the impact. 

Michiru leapt over the fissure created by her ally’s attack in pursuit of Tomoe. Though she wasn’t convinced she could damage him without the serum, she was resolved to keep him distracted until Pluto or Mars appeared with some. 

“We don’t have to do this!” Michiru argued while weaving between erratic swings of his arms. “Now that Uranus is awakened, the princess can save you!”

Sailor Neptune doubted he could understand her in his current form. She narrowly dodged an especially large limb by rolling along the ground. Neptune barely had time to regain her composure before finding one of her arms clenched between rows of teeth. 

“Ah!” She screamed as a dozen fangs pierced her skin. The stinging pain spread through her as the Dromedon lifted her from the ground.

“Neptune!” 

Uranus was in the air, slicing the creature’s arm off before Neptune could object. The wind was knocked out of her as she collided with the ground once again. 

Her partner was hovering over her in a flash. The bejeweled sabre glistened in the dim neon light. The cocky, battle-hardened grin Neptune hadn’t seen since the day they died flashed down at her. “Now it’s my turn to protect you!”

Michiru scrambled to her feet. As much as she appreciated the sentiment, Uranus’ heroism would do them no good if they could not harm their enemies. The severed arm, which landed a few yards behind them, was twitching. Within moments it would become a viable, and volatile, being. 

Traditional battle methods would not work. 

“Chronos Typhoon!” 

Swirling violet magic rippled through Neptune’s hair. She and Uranus clung to one another, barely remaining upright as Sailor Pluto’s attack swept Kaolinite, Tomoe, and the other nearby monsters from their feet. 

The temporary reprieve gave Neptune a moment to think. She sought out Pluto, who was sprinting towards them with the garnet rod in hand. 

Neptune and Uranus were finally reunited. She knew that, together, there was nothing they could not achieve. With their powers combined, nothing could stop them. If Sailor Moon and the others had taught her anything, it was to believe in the power of their love. 

“Uranus!” Pluto stopped just short of the newly-awakened Senshi. The garnet rod clanked against the hard ground. “Have you seen Mars?”

Uranus shook her head. “Let’s split up and find _Miko!_ Kitten’s going to fire us if we let anything happen to her.”

Michiru’s eyes fell to Pluto’s belt as her comrades spoke. While looking at the syringes, she had a flash of the first time she saw them dangling from Pluto’s waist. When Mimete attacked her in the apartment, forcing Setsuna to come to her rescue. Confusion and disbelief consumed her. Then, when she awoke and saw the apartment restored as if nothing had ever happened… 

The memory gave Michiru an idea. 

“Hey, Uranus…”

The combined shrieks of surrounding Dromedons interrupted Michiru’s words. The Outer Guardians huddled together in preparation for attack. 

The rush of enemies was coming from the opposite side of the cavern, as if they were fleeing something. Streaks of light, mimicking that of a rainbow, cascaded across the dark cavern. Pluto raised her staff in preparation to summon a protective shield, but dropped it. 

The three guardians fell to their knees when they felt the soothing, reassuring aura of their Princess and her companions. 

Neptune’s eyes remained firmly planted to the ground. A pair of boots she hadn’t seen in ages landed just before her. She felt Uranus and Pluto, genuflecting on either side of her, stiffen in her presence. 

“Sailor Moon.” Pluto was the first to speak. 

Michiru tentatively raised her head. The pure radiance of the silver crystal resonated from Eternal Sailor Moon’s brooch. Behind the bright light were the glowing colors of the other soldiers. 

The Princess’ bright blue eyes and striking smile gazed down at them. Neptune could find no anger or disappointment in her visage. There was only unencumbered joy with finding them all united once more. 

“Welcome back. Neptune. Uranus…” Usagi’s pigtails, paler than Michiru remembered and now so long they trailed behind her, danced with the sheer brilliance of her aura. 

Their Princess was different. More powerful. More gracious. Tempered by years of war but still as loving and hopeful as ever. 

And, above all, she was still Tsukino Usagi. 

“Let’s finish this. Together.”


	37. The Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neptune and Uranus combine their powers to end the war.

**♅**

“Let’s finish this. Together,” the princess said while looking down at her long-absent Outer Senshi. 

Sailor Uranus felt the princess’ gaze upon her. Looking at Neptune, the soldier she loved who was technically her equal, was hard enough. Facing the princess she had failed, at first by falling in battle, and then by remaining dormant for over twenty years, was somehow harder. 

“Took ya long enough,” the lighthearted jab, coming from Venus, prompted Uranus to lift her head and scowl. 

The entire team was collected before them. Eternal Sailor Moon took point, with Tuxedo Mask beside her. Fanning out on both sides of the future rulers were Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Saturn. 

Haruka’s eyes locked with the young woman she helped raise. Hotaru wasn’t a child anymore, no matter the fact that she appeared to be no older than her late teens. Sailor Saturn was somehow more serious and deadly to behold than Uranus remembered. All of the Senshi, in fact, were weighed down by the constant state of war they had been entrenched in for decades.

The Scion of Death’s serious violet eyes softened while looking at Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, reunited at last. 

A knowing, reassuring glance passed between them. For a fleeting second, Sailor Uranus forgot everything but the comforts the Outer Senshi family she used to take for granted. 

“Where’s Mars?” Venus interrupted the short reunion. Her eyes scanned the dark cavern and recovering Dromedons for a sign of the Fire Senshi. 

“There was an explosion. We got separated,” Neptune gave an abridged version of what transpired immediately before they arrived. 

Venus’ eyes widened in concern. 

Haruka felt the surprising sting of guilt. Feeling somewhat responsible, she stood and leveled Venus with a newfound resolve. “We’ll separate and look for her. She couldn’t have gone far.”

Uranus felt a hand gently squeeze hers. She turned to see Neptune’s heartfelt gaze. The slight twinkle in her cerulean orbs told Haruka she had a plan. 

Neptune stepped forward. “Sailor Moon, I believe we can fix this. But first we will need to find Mars and unite over there…” she pointed to the writhing, black and crimson mass that was the Omnivear. “If the Legendary Silver Crystal can reverse the effects of the poison on their source, it should heal all of them.”

Sailor Moon tilted her head and smiled. Haruka didn’t doubt Usagi was just as confused as she was, but the princess trusted her companions without hesitation. “Okay, then! That’s the plan everyone!”

Neptune and Uranus nodded to each other before parting. Their crystals and minds reconnected instantly. The years of slumber separating them were nothing when faced with an eternity of devotion. 

In her parting gaze, Uranus told Neptune she felt responsible for Mars and needed to help Venus. Neptune and Pluto branched off on their own.

The rulers, escorted by Saturn, ran in the opposite direction. Before anyone else could partner with Sailor Venus, Haruka approached her. “Let me help you.”

Venus seemed taken aback by Uranus’ proposal, but she was too concerned with the battle and Mars’ fate to question it. “Okay. Where do you think she is?”

Uranus looked around the dimly-lit cavern. She tried reorienting herself. Their surroundings were dismal. The only unique quality, the vast chasm where the Supreme Being was centered, was located in the center. Trapped inside of herself with only a hazy window to gaze out of her surroundings made it exceedingly difficult to guess where she had been standing as Mistress 9.

They were not far from the Omnivear. Haruka worried the explosion had not been powerful enough to send Mars flying over the chasm and to the other side. She very well could have landed inside of it. If that happened, well, Uranus didn’t want to consider the repercussions. 

“Follow me!”

Venus set her face with determination. She reached to her waist. Much like Pluto, her chain was loaded with syringes. Uranus frowned with confusion when Venus plucked one and forced it into her hand. 

“You need to stick them with it. Or else they can’t be hurt. Now let’s go!”

Uranus clutched the serum. Her two brief encounters with these enemies, when she perished, and just now when she severed the arm that began regenerating, suddenly made sense. Standard attacks barely touched them. And if they were split into pieces, they would regenerate and increase their ranks. It explained why Neptune tried stabbing Cyprine and Ptilol during the encounter in the apartment.

It also explained how the war managed to rage on for decades. 

The pair charged onward. Uranus carved a path with her sword, careful not to sever any limbs. Their aim was to make ground and search for Mars. With their offense limited to maiming, and not wasting more syringes than they had to, Uranus could only focus on plowing forward. 

“Venus Wink Chain Sword!”

The crackling and glowing magic of Venus’ chain alternated between protecting their left and right sides. The crazed beasts recoiled from the sharp crack of Venus’ whip. Their hesitation was short-lived; after realizing the Sailor Scout’s magic was more flash than damage, they lunged forward yet again. 

Uranus paid them little mind. They only had to keep the monsters at bay long enough to find Mars and settle this once and for all. Haruka wasn’t sure what Michiru knew, or what her plan was, but it was the only sliver of hope they had.

“Mars!” Haruka called out. She swung her talisman in a wide arc, setting back the horde fast approaching their left. 

“Rei!” Venus circled her sword above her head before descending it upon a particularly large Dromedon behind them. The Wink Sword sliced through flesh and bone, causing it to howl and recoil. 

Sailor Uranus was not hopeful Mars could hear them. The combined magical outbursts from her allies and the collective screeches from the enemies were deafening, easily drowning out their pathetic cries.

“Mars! Damn it!” Haruka swore when an enemy leapt over her saber beam and charged toward the Inner Scout behind her. Venus’ back was to the threat, as she was already contending with an aggressive crowd approaching from the opposite direction.

Unwilling to take the risk, Uranus brandished her single syringe and charged. In less than a second she was on top of the alien. She dug her sword into one of its many mouths to anchor herself. With her other hand she stabbed its flesh with the needle. 

The serum spreading through its poisoned flesh must have caused the creature immense pain, for it began thrashing uncontrollably. Before Uranus could dislodge her sword, they both went toppling over as the cumbersome creature lost its balance trying to throw her off. 

“Uranus!” Venus turned in time for Uranus to catch her eye as she went tumbling to the ground. 

“Venus Love Me Chain!” 

Haruka braced herself for the crushing weight of the Dromedon. Dozens of chomping mouths followed her descent, practically drooling at the thought of tasting her magical flesh. 

Venus’ chain yanked the beast away, saving Haruka from being smothered. Uranus wasn’t necessarily better off. The wind was knocked from her lungs as she hit the ground. Her body continued to roll, unable to work against the incredible inertia she had gained. Uranus tucked and grit her teeth as she repeatedly banged against the hard ground. 

Keeping her eyes open was a struggle. She was rolling too fast, and only able to catch glimpses of what was going on around her. Haruka could see Venus prepping her chain to try catching her. Her ribs and hips cracked against the green bulbs protruding from the ground. She would have let herself come to a stop naturally, if it weren’t for the ominous scarlet light growing stronger by the second. 

“Shit!” Uranus swore when she realized she was heading straight for the bottomless pit with the Omnivear’s writhing body nestled inside of it. She frantically clawed at the earth. Her gloved fingers tried finding something to grip into, but the ground was too moist and the green spheres of light were too smooth. 

Uranus tumbled over the sudden drop. Panic jump-started her heart when she realized she was about to find out what was at the bottom of this burning red chasm. 

“Venus!” Uranus’ call for help disappeared in the pit as she fell head first. Waiting, stretching for miles and miles below, was the pulsating, fleshy body of the Omnivear. The glowing red eyes did not blink as Uranus dove into its prison. Haruka closed her eyes, more intent on seeing a memory of Michiru’s beautiful face than this wretched creature before she died again. 

Instead of falling, Uranus’ body smacked the rocky side of the chasm. Snapping her eyes open, she took a moment to reorient herself. Venus’ chain must have found her ankles just in time to save her from plunging to certain death.

“That was close.” Haruka forced herself to look up, toward the surface. Movement in her peripherals caught her attention. She turned to her left, and found herself at a loss for words when she realized she was not the only Sailor Senshi occupying this hole.

“Mars?” Uranus gaped at the Fire Senshi, not trusting her eyes. 

Hanging from the edge of the pit by her fingertips, Mars looked at her with an equally stupefied glare. “Uranus?”

Rei’s bangs were glued to her forehead. Her chest was heaving. Though both of their bodies were bathed in the ominous red light of the Supreme Being, Haruka could have sworn she detected blood staining Mars’ fuku. Sailor Uranus’s eyes followed her own legs, to the glowing chain wrapped around her ankles, tethering her to the surface. 

“Venus likes waiting until the last second, doesn’t she?” Haruka nervously joked. 

“She does have a flair for the dramatic,” Rei snidely played along. Her hands slipped and she scrambled to regain the inches she lost. 

The War Soldier was putting on a tough show, but Haruka sensed her fear. “It’s okay. Venus and I will get you out.”

Haruka slowly exhaled and focused the strength in her core. Her chain violently jerked to the side. Without allowing herself time to worry about what was happening on the opposite end of the chain, she used her abdominal muscles to lift her upper body. She flipped herself upright and grabbed the ledge with her hands. Feeling somewhat relieved to at least be in the proper position, she released the chain from her ankles and tossed it to Mars. 

Rei reached out for the lifeline, but releasing her already faltering grip on the ledge caused her to slip further.

Haruka grunted. Somewhere in the near vicinity, which may have been miles given her and Mars’ predicament, she heard Venus shouting to them. They couldn’t wait for help that might not come, Uranus decided. Hanging, but with a better grip than Mars, Uranus scaled the side of the cliff until she was beside the struggling Inner Senshi.

“You should’ve done more pull-ups, _Miko,_ ” Uranus joked while using one hand to twist Venus’ chain around Mars’ wrists. 

Not one to be outdone, Mars quipped back, “and you should’ve awakened a long time ago.” 

She could have alleviated a lot of pain and stress for everyone if she’d done as Mars suggested. Uranus knew that, now. It couldn’t have been clearer than the moment she and Neptune locked eyes before plunging into battle. And now, as the Shrine Maiden who had also done her part in babysitting the wealthy-but-helpless billionaire, was holding on for dear life, guilt stabbed her in the chest once more. 

“I had my—“ Haruka’s retort was interrupted as the love chain suddenly yanked Mars upward. 

With a cry of combined pain and surprise, Rei was pulled up above ground. Her heels dug into the rock as she used them as extra leverage. Uranus scrambled up and over the ledge beside her, helping her reacquaint herself with solid ground. 

“I’m sorry, they ambushed me and—” Venus startled when she realized who was on the other side of her chain. A relieved smile crossed her face and she ran forward to give Mars a brief embrace. “Mars!” 

Uranus tried helping the Fire Senshi into a sitting position. Both her and Venus’ meddling only made Rei grimace harder. Seeming to notice Mars’ reluctance at the same time, the blondes pulled away. An angry bite mark marred her right side. From Rei’s ribs to her hips, the white fabric of her fuku was shred and stained with blood. 

“Mars…” Venus hesitated, knowing full well how volatile Rei could be when others drew attention to her weaknesses or wounds. 

“I’m fine,” Mars insisted. “Just help me up.”

Uranus and Venus shared a brief, knowing glance. It would take all of their combined powers to purify the corrosion inflicted upon the fearsome creature beside them. Mars was in no condition to lend her planet’s powers; she could barely stand as it was. 

Haruka couldn’t think about that right now. Their goal hadn’t changed. They had to reunite with Sailor Moon and the others. Her stormy eyes surveyed the battlefield. She might have been out of the game for a while, but it didn’t take her more than a minute to realize what was happening. 

“They were on me, and I couldn’t come rescue you. Then they ran off, toward Sailor Moon,” Venus explained as she secured Mars’ arm around her shoulders and helped her onto her feet. 

Uranus followed the moving trail of Dromedons. They flocked toward Sailor Moon’s location. She was hovering with her white wings inside of Sailor Pluto’s protective garnet sphere. Strings of Jupiter’s lightning shocked approaching enemies, supported by Tuxedo Mask’s bombs. Resonating through all of the chaos was the radiance of the Legendary Silver Crystal. 

“They’re desperate to end this,” Uranus deduced. The Dromedons resorted to capturing and torturing her, after years of covertly coaxing her to awaken. Subtlety had been tossed aside in favor of unbridled war. Something must have changed, for now they appeared intent on killing Sailor Moon and stealing the Silver Crystal’s power for themselves.

“Go on ahead. We’ll follow,” Venus urged. 

“I’ll carve you a path,” Uranus offered. She called upon the strength of her crystal, summoning the sword back into her grasp. 

Uranus stole a final glance at the two Inner Senshi before sprinting onward. She didn’t share the princess’ emotional intuitiveness, or Venus’ matchmaking capabilities, but she could see there was something different between the two of them. 

Maybe not different, but supplemental. Venus cared about all of the Inner Soldiers. They were her duty, after all. But there was an extra softness in her gaze as she looked at Mars. And the stoic Shrine Maiden allowed herself the luxury of relaxing her head on Venus’s shoulder while whispering something Uranus couldn’t hear. 

“Huh.” Michiru would get a kick out of that, if she didn’t already know. 

Michiru. Haruka set her indomitable gaze upon her target. The chaos circling the princess made it impossible to discern if Neptune was amongst the fray. With her eyes, anyway. Her revived crystal, however, silently called to its mate, and felt the ancient summons. 

As always, Uranus would respond. 

Faster than an urgent gale, the Heavenly Soldier closed the gap between herself and the battle for the Silver Crystal. Saturn’s vibrant Silence Wall, accentuated by streaks of lightning and Mercury’s mist blinding and befuddling the monsters, created a beacon. 

Remembering her promise to clear the way for Venus and their injured ally, Haruka summoned the power of her saber to render a gaping crater in the ground beside them. A shattering earthquake split the ground in a wide path running parallel to their path, causing approaching enemies to collapse inside of it. To their left was the Omnivear, harmlessly roaring its objection at them. 

Uranus had to resist the urge to destroy the enemy’s brain. Being nothing but a writhing black mass with hundreds of fearsome red eyes, it was technically defenseless. Its sentries had all charged toward Sailor Moon. It would have been so easy to strike it down. A World Shaking, combined with some assistance from Venus, and she was confident the two of them could defeat it. 

The only thing that stilled her blade was Neptune’s plan. Haruka did not know what Michiru knew, or what her plan was. But she had faith in her partner. They had endured too much suffering, too much confusion, to not pull through together at the final hour. 

As Sailor Uranus fast approached the shimmering violet wall, she processed the structured calamity around her. Saturn’s wall guarded the flank. Across the active battlefield, Haruka caught glimpses of what appeared to be a large blue barrier… perhaps a device of Mercury’s? 

Uranus was forced to double back when a stream of lightning streaked a path before her, temporarily electrocuting the Dromedons in her way. She followed the source, earning herself a quick wink from Jupiter before she flew in the opposite direction. 

Floating in the center, surveying their situation, was their pillar of hope. Sailor Moon’s piercing blue eyes fell upon her. Despite the chaos surrounding them, she was peaceful and composed. Uranus could not begin to imagine what she was thinking. Spending two decades mired in strife and war, while she and Michiru aimlessly lived their mortal lives, must have taken its toll on their princess. Usagi had matured, that much Haruka could discern. Not only physically, but emotionally as well. 

Sailor Moon tilted her head, ever so slightly, to her left. Past the bodies and magical explosions, Uranus saw her. Or rather, saw her awesome tsunami, sweeping away their enemies and conducting Jupiter’s electricity. Impressed by their strategy to carry the debilitating lighting even further, Uranus checked to be sure Venus and Mars were safely approaching before sprinting toward Neptune. 

The destructive force of nature drowned a hoard of enemies, giving Uranus the lull she needed to track down her battle partner. 

Intuitive, perceptive Neptune already sensed her approach. After ensuring a moment of respite, she turned to Uranus and smiled. 

Despite the carnage and hopelessness and exhaustion, she smiled. And it stopped Haruka in her tracks. 

The oblivious husk she had been living as simply could not appreciate the gravity of Michiru’s presence. Without knowing everything they had lived, everything they’d overcome together, Haruka had been blissfully unaware of the true depths of Neptune’s commitment to her. 

“Did you find Mars?” Neptune asked while running up to her. 

Remembering herself, Haruka nodded. “She’s injured. I don’t know if—”

Michiru cut off her concerns by pressing her lips closed with an index finger. 

How could she be so… calm? Uranus wasn’t sure if she should be suspicious or alarmed. 

Michiru playfully tilted her head. Her eyes wandered Uranus’ form. If it weren’t for their dire situation, Haruka would have blushed from the way Michiru was reminded herself of how she carried her transformation. 

_“Ne,_ Haruka?”

“Umm… yes?”

“What did Minako say to you? When she whispered in your ear at the restaurant.”

Haruka blinked. What did that have to do with anything? And why would Michiru be asking such a question now, of all times? 

“Umm… She said, ‘Your love with save us all.’”

“Then we shouldn’t let everyone down.” Neptune stepped back. Uranus was about to ask what she was up to, but then she felt it. The stirring inside of her breast. The electricity the two of them shared before having the slightest inkling of what truly bound them. 

Their eternal destiny, forged by love. 

Aquamarine light glittered from Michiru’s brooch, paving the way for her crystal to emerge. As it had countless times before, Uranus’ crystal responded without fail. Endless lifetime’s worth of Neptune’s love furnished the strength within her crystal. Their respective crystals hovered in front of their chests, conversing for the first time in years. 

Michiru held her arms into position. Haruka blinked. When she opened her eyes, Marine Cathedral had miraculously appeared in Michiru’s grasp. Its neck was in one hand, and Neptune held her bow in the other. “I wrote the song intending wind…”

“...To carry the water,” Uranus finished for her. 

Neptune’s face brightened when she finished the sentence, almost as if she expected Uranus not to remember. 

How could she forget? Even her unawakened soul recognized the song, and played the piano accompaniment alongside the lonesome violin. Haruka would always know their song; for Neptune had poured her heart and soul into it. For her.

As Neptune nestled the bow against the strings, a pair of frightening howls drew their attention. They turned toward the sound, finding the beasts that overtook Kaori and Tomoe’s bodies. Kaori’s muscular, lupine form sat back on its haunches before propelling itself toward the couple. 

“I think it’s time we got our revenge on these two,” Neptune suggested with a chilling air that made Uranus shudder. 

Kaori. The disturbing, intimate things she had done to her, all for the sake of stirring Uranus’ dormant memories. Though she hadn’t known who she was, or what her destiny had been at the time, Haruka still felt the sting of embarrassment when recalling the memories of her shame. She was young, and technically the victim during those years, but their relationship had fostered a string of contracts and temporary submissives Haruka had used in a pathetic attempt to establish control. And, subconsciously, to relive the memories she unwittingly clung to. 

Tomoe. The spectre who instigated Michiru through control. He tried tapping into her possessive, dominant nature by subverting their roles. By reminding Michiru how much she hated being beneath someone. Powerless and hopeless. He tried turning her sexuality against her; disgusting and frightening her. 

Their plans hadn’t worked then, and they wouldn’t work now. 

“Yes, let’s,” Uranus agreed at length. 

A pair of scarlet laser beams shot from Kaori’s ruby eyes. Uranus and Neptune leapt into the air, avoiding the attack at the last second. Their dodge separated them by a few yards, making it difficult to follow what the other was doing. Kaori’s jaws continuously snapped at Uranus, pushing her further and further in the opposite direction. 

Uranus shifted back and forth, skirting Kaori’s wolfish teeth and claws with ease. Uranus was more annoyed than anything else. She dared to spare a glance to Neptune, who was also expertly remaining at arm’s length from Tomoe’s attacks. 

Stealing that second to seek out her partner almost cost Uranus. Kaori took advantage of the opening to conjure another streak of red pain from her eyes. Uranus tucked and rolled, feeling the heat zapping the fringes of her skirt. 

“Damn it,” Uranus cursed. She had to return to Neptune. Before she could jump back to her feet, Kaori’s hulking form was leaping in her direction. Uranus couldn’t roll or jump out of the way in time to avoid being pounced on. She also didn’t think she could afford to be trapped in Kaori’s jaws or swept away by her massive claws. 

Resigned to no other plans, Uranus stuck to what she did best: offense. As Kaori’s lethal maw came straight for her face, Uranus thrust her sword upward, straight through the underside of Kaori’s jaw. The tip of her sword protruded out of Kaori’s forehead, between her eyes. 

The wound, which would have been lethal to any normal creature, was only a painful distraction to the alien. Kaori reared on her hind legs, roaring and thrashing in pain. It was enough to grant Uranus time. She leapt to her feet and sprinted in the opposite direction, towards Neptune. 

The oily mass of flesh and teeth that was once Tomoe pursued Neptune without relief. His limbs, of which there could have easily been fifty, took turns striking at Neptune with no attack pattern that Uranus could understand. Armed with only her violin, Neptune wove between his attacks with the grace only the princess of Neptune could possess. Uranus wasn’t sure why Neptune wasn’t attacking. She didn’t even seem interested in maiming him. 

Then their eyes met. Uranus felt her crystal brimming over with heat and energy once more. Neptune disengaged from her frustrated opponent, who roared in objection and chased after her. 

The closer Neptune drew to her, the stronger the sensation became. The auras exuding from their crystals entwined, creating a pattern of magical light between them that suspiciously resembled a bar of music. As the glittering gold and teal magic specks settled, Uranus could clearly make out the notes decorating the air. 

“What else could wind and water be?” Uranus huskily whispered across the miracle of love filling the air between them. 

“I love you… More than you know,” Michiru whispered her reply. She resumed her stance, prepared to play her violin before they could be interrupted once again. 

To Haruka’s surprise, Michiru turned to Sailor Moon and shouted. “Sailor Moon, now!”

Marine Cathedral’s silvery, mesmerizing notes drowned out the sounds of battle. Neptune played the song of their hearts, the song of their lives, as the notes magically spelled themselves out around them. The ethereal bars of music surrounded the lovers, spreading gold and blue notes around their bodies. 

The sounds of battle immediately shrank into silence, cowed by the sheer magnificence of Neptune’s song. 

Uranus was overcome with emotion. Their crystals sparkled in sync, echoing the unspoken words of devotion between them. Every embrace, every kiss, every moment played out in melodic bliss throughout the dark, decrepit cave. 

The aliens turned docile. Even their poisoned, corrupted hearts were affected by this tale of love that surpassed planets, lifetimes, and centuries. 

“It’s time,” Sailor Moon spoke, startling Uranus from her trance.

Standing between them was the princess, cradling the Legendary Silver Crystal against her breast. Its glow was strong and true; now resonating with the backing of all the guardian planets. 

Haruka nodded. It was time for wind to carry the water… and something else, too. 

Michiru opened her eyes. Marine Cathedral vanished, but the realization of the notes she played clung to the air around them, continuously echoing through the dungeon. 

The couple raised their arms in sync. Fingertips stretched toward the cavern ceiling. Their crystals hovered in the air between their hands. Uranus channeled every emotion Michiru’s song had stirred within her into her crystal. A contained vortex swirled around her amber crystal, with enough velocity to tear anything in its path to shreds. The ball of gusty energy was small, but its immense power tore at her gloves and became difficult to contain. 

Similarly, a concentrated sphere of aquatic energy surrounded Neptune’s crystal. Their eyes locked. Staring through the silver crystal’s aura between them, Uranus could also feel Neptune’s emotions: helplessness, dejection, fear, loneliness, defeat… until, finally, relief. Relief that Uranus had returned. But there was guilt, as well. 

Michiru never wanted this for Haruka. Over and over again, she had tried to shield her in a masochistic attempt to preserve her innocence. This time, Uranus had tried giving Michiru what she wanted. She kept herself, her true nature, at bay, for as long as she could… 

Yet it was not meant to be. Nor, did Uranus suspect, would Michiru’s fantasy of keeping her hands clean ever materialize. 

Because this, fighting together, was their destiny. 

Tears stung Haruka’s eyes as Neptune’s emotions were laid bare before her. The Legendary Silver Crystal united their souls in a unique way they had never experienced before. Haruka was overwhelmed with the magnitude of Michiru’s immortal love for her. As the magic enveloped them, she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. 

Judging by the tears brimming Neptune’s eyes, she felt the same. 

The influx of emotions reached their pinnacle. An entire galaxy’s worth of floods and tornadoes tore away their gloves, rippled through their hair, and carried their tears away. 

The partnered planets’ guardians called out the name of their magical ballad together. 

“Perfect Storm!” 

Uranus and Neptune released their combined powers at the Silver Crystal. Usagi’s pale pigtails violently whipped around their bodies as the strength of a thousand storms assaulted the crystal. Neptune’s tsunamis swept away the Silver Crystal’s light, projecting it in all directions. The Silver Crystal functioned as the eye of the storm, absorbing and projecting their limitless energy. 

As Neptune had predicted centuries ago, Uranus’ winds carried the notes of their song. Crashing waves of music and the Silver Crystal’s light drowned the battlefield. Uranus, Neptune, and Sailor Moon could not look away from the apex of the combined attack, so focused were they on remaining upright and concentrating their magic. Uranus’ collar flapped hard against her cheeks and shoulders, and her skirt rippled so hard she thought it might tear, but she didn’t blink. 

The Dromedons cried out in agony. Their collective shrieks hit a fevered pitch before suddenly dying out. 

The princess collapsed to her knees, Silver Crystal still proffered before her. 

Peace and stillness settled over the battlefield as the three performed a silent vigil on their knees. Teal, gold, and silver light all hovered between them for a brief moment before the crystals returned to their rightful homes. 

“Neptune! Uranus!” the princess exclaimed while wiping tears from her eyes. Her buns were unraveled. Her fuku was dirty and torn. But her eyes were filled with light and joy. “I’ve missed you so much!” 

Haruka stiffened in surprise when Sailor Moon tightly hugged her. She patted the blonde’s head and chuckled. “It’s okay, kitten. We’re back for good.”

“You better be!” Usagi pounded her chest and pulled away. The princess turned to Neptune and, in a gesture that surprised all three of them, embraced her too. “I’m so sorry, Michiru!” 

Neptune sighed. Haruka doubted Michiru would admit it later, but the princess’ cathartic hug visibly relaxed her. “It’s over now, Princess.”

“Usa-ko!” Tuxedo Mask, flanked by Jupiter and Mercury, approached. The Sailor Scouts were as disarrayed as Sailor Moon. Mamoru’s mask was lost to the fray, and his cape was shredded. 

“Mamo-chan!” Usagi let him help her to her feet. She smiled up at him. “We did it… I think.” 

Eerie silence, save for the approaching footsteps of their allies, filled the cavern. Uranus helped Neptune to her feet. Hands entwined, the couple surveyed the remnants of the battle around them. 

Nothing moved. Dromedon corpses stretched as far as their eyes could see. The canyon where the Omnivear had been kept appeared empty. By all accounts, the aliens appeared dead. 

“I don’t understand…” Neptune whispered in confusion. Haruka tilted her head, unsure of what other result she was expecting. 

Saturn and Pluto approached together, weapons clutched in their hands. Venus, with Mars still ambling and using her as a crutch, entered the circle. 

“See? I knew it!” Venus cheered despite the somber mood that had overtaken them. 

Uranus, unsure of why Neptune seemed so glum, bent down and kissed Neptune’s forehead. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought…” Neptune released Haruka’s hand. She turned towards the open pit behind them. Without another word, she walked to the edge of the chasm, stepping around the piles of alien bodies. 

Uranus didn’t turn to observe the Senshi all sharing confused glances amongst themselves. She followed Michiru without hesitation, at a safe distance to give Michiru her space. After a moment, she joined her partner on the ledge, staring down the bottomless pit. 

They stood in silence for a long minute, neither looking away from the canyon before them. 

Uranus wasn’t sure what was upsetting Neptune, which made it difficult to find the appropriate words. “I almost fell down there, you know.”

“Oh?” Neptune looked at her with an arched eyebrow. 

“Yeah. Venus saved me with her chain.”

Neptune crossed her arms over her chest. Her disappointment faded, giving way to the mischievous grin Haruka recognized. “There’s something we haven’t used yet. Chains.”

Hot blush crept up Haruka’s neck. Even though the rest of their company was too far away to hear, she hissed beneath her breath. “Neptune! That’s not—”

A rush of light and energy erupted from the depths of the pit beneath them, knocking the pair to the ground. They groaned in sync as the air was knocked from their lungs. Uranus rolled to her side, anxious to ensure Neptune’s safety. 

“I’m fine.” Neptune coughed and brushed her skirt down. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I—Ahhh!” Haruka groaned and clutched her abdomen. Agonizing phantom pains, the likes of which Uranus had never felt before, spiked and doubled her over in pain. Judging by the way Neptune arched her spine and cried out, she was experiencing something similar. 

“What the—?” 

Bursts of light erupted from the fallen bodies of the Dromedons. Their fellow Senshi all exclaimed with surprise as pillars of white light filled the dark cavern. A similar, but larger and more intense light, burned in the empty space between Uranus and Neptune’s feet and the edge of the pit. 

The couple instinctively huddled together. Uranus wielded her talisman and held it in a protective stance before them. 

A calming sound, resembling that of wind chimes, resonated through the dead air before the lights filling the cavern disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

“It’s okay, Uranus.” Before Haruka could make any sense of what she was looking at, Michiru’s hand was on hers, gently lowering her weapon. 

Standing before them was a creature Haruka had never seen before. The closest thing she could compare it to was a mythological centaur. It had an equestrian body, with four legs, a tail, and shimmering, iridescent skin. The humanoid part was androgynous, with a completely bald head and face. The creature had no mouth or nose. A pair of wide, innocent eyes were the only feature on its otherwise empty face. 

“What… What is that?” Haruka stuttered as the creature walked towards her. 

“I am the Omnivear. The source of all life and knowledge for my species, the Equus-Lator.”

The voice spoke inside of Haruka’s mind. She startled at first, but it’s soothing psychic presence calmed her nerves. The feeling spread through her entire body, washing over and vanishing the crippling phantom pains in her midriff. 

_“Our link has been severed,”_ the voice spoke while looking at Haruka’s body. The pain she just felt, where the wound killed her all those years ago, must have signaled the end of their supernatural connection. 

The unblinking, unsettling eyes turned to Neptune. 

_“I apologize for all of the trouble my people caused you.”_

The voice carried with it a peculiar accent Haruka could not place. It was neither airy nor husky, feminine or masculine. Haruka got the impression that, like Setsuna, this creature was a rarity; an ancient being harboring secrets older than her planet’s very existence. 

“I don’t understand,” Michiru spoke out loud for the benefit of those around them. “I saw a vision of you when I linked with Cyprine. You were much… larger.”

_“The combined powers of your guardian planets and the Legendary Silver Crystal has resurrected all of us. I have been reborn. We are all Nameless, now. We can truly begin a new era, free of the entity that has poisoned us for years, thanks to you.”_

“All of you?” Haruka blinked and turned around. Behind them, further back than her eyes could see, were hundreds of creatures that looked identical to the Omnivear standing in front of them. 

Sailor Moon was tentatively poking one of the creatures and nervously laughing. Mercury had summoned her visor and was scrutinizing the strange celestial creatures. Jupiter was assisting Venus with Mars, much to the Fire Senshi’s chagrin. 

Pluto and Saturn were the first to approach the Omnivear. Both of their expressions were heavily guarded, but Haruka could see the bewilderment in their eyes. 

_“Keeper of Time for the Milky Way galaxy.”_ The Omnivear slightly bowed its head. _“I must apologize for my actions. Directing an attack on the Space-Time Gate jeopardized you and your mission.”_

Haruka didn’t think she could ever get used to the creature’s voice inside of her mind.

Sailor Pluto stepped forward. “I don’t understand how you invaded our realm in the first place.”

The Omnivear’s mercurial eyes turned from the Outer Scouts to the approaching Inners and Tuxedo Mask. It regarded Sailor Moon with unsettling solemnity as it mentally spoke to all of them. 

_“Andromeda has its own version of your Space-Time Gate. The corruption leeching my form, and therefore, my subjects, directed us there. We killed the guardian. Following the poison’s suggestions, we entered the Space-Time realm. The corrupting powers allowed us to wander in the realm between time and space for years… Until we finally found your door. By then there was nothing left of our original bodies. And our minds were not entirely our own.”_

Sailor Uranus was still befuddled by everything she was hearing and seeing. She opened her mouth to interject, but Neptune’s arm slithering around her waist silenced her. “I’ll explain everything later.”

Pluto and Saturn stood to Haruka’s left, making space for Sailor Moon and the others to approach the Omnivear. 

Upon laying its eyes on Mars’ injury, the Omnivear’s metallic hooves walked towards her. It paused within arm’s reach of Rei. Haruka watched Rei’s expression transform from one of discomfort to relief. She stood upright, no longer relying on Venus to support her. 

Uranus could only guess what sort of private conversation passed between the two. She leaned against Neptune’s soft body. As they watched the silent exchange between the Supreme Being and Mars, the realization that the decades-long battle was over hit her. 

Though she had been slumbering most of the time, Uranus could not help but feel satisfaction and peace. Michiru, their Outer Scout family, and everyone else, could finally move on. 

As for Haruka, her life was just beginning. 

“Hey boss!”

Haruka winced when she recognized the voice. She had no idea how she was going to explain any of this away…

“Turner,” Neptune crooned when Haruka’s body guard, now cleansed of the alien possession, approached. Alongside him walked Julian Wildes, no longer masquerading as Seiya. 

“And Julian,” Haruka stuttered in surprise. She looked behind them, not seeing anyone else. “What about Eudial and Cyprine?”

Turner shook his head. “They didn’t make it. With all due respect, boss… What the fuck is going on?”

Michiru giggled. “I think you need to update your employees’ non-disclosure contracts, Haruka.”

Turner, who was unsuccessfully trying to maintain a poker face, cleared his throat. “I’m supposed to keep all of _this_ a secret?”

“You know I will. For the right price,” Julian half-joked with an arched eyebrow. 

“Turner. Use your company card to book a hotel and get yourselves flights back home. I’ll be in touch with both of you. In the meantime… Keep your mouths closed about this,” Haruka warned. 

“Fine,” Julian reluctantly agreed while Turner shrugged beside him.

“What about all of you?” Mamoru asked the Omnivear. 

“Yeah… Where will you go?” Sailor Moon inquired. 

_“Our galaxy was destroyed. We cannot return.”_

Sailor Saturn broke away from her perch between Pluto and Uranus. “Sailor Moon.”

Usagi blinked. “Saturn? What is it?”

“I have an idea.” Without making eye contact with any of her mothers, Saturn approached Sailor Moon and whispered in her ear. 

Usagi’s eyes widened with glee. She clapped her hands and smiled, seeming quite pleased with Saturn’s secret. 

“Okay everyone! It’s time for Sailor Teleport!” 

As everyone got into position, Neptune gazed up at Haruka and smiled once more. 

Haruka couldn’t remember the last time Michiru smiled like that. She was unencumbered and overflowing with joy.

The pure happiness on Neptune’s face wiped away the guilt lingering in Haruka’s heart. 

“Michiru, I…”

"If you want to apologize, you’ll have to do it properly… When we’re alone. For now, I’ll take a kiss.”

_Appreciate her._

Remembering the words of advice from her slumbering self, Haruka leaned down and kissed her soulmate’s lips. 

Their crystals and hearts thrummed in ecstasy. 

Haruka grabbed Michiru’s hand and whispered. “I’m not letting you go tonight.”


	38. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sailor Senshi have one more task to complete before enjoying some R&R.

**♆**

Ten flashes of light blinked in a variety of colors. The rainbow circle disappeared from the hidden cavern on Earth, reappearing on a frigid, hazy, black landscape. Debris, made of variegated shades of rock and other materials, stretched as far as her eyes could see. 

This atmosphere. This planet. Sailor Neptune didn’t recognize it, though she sensed she ought to. While the landscape was unfamiliar, the burgundy fog hovering above the surface and its distant timelessness were familiar. 

Uncomfortably so. 

Time stood still on this silent, desolate plain. 

The Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Mask, and the Equus-Lator teleported alongside them, stood in awed silence as they absorbed their new surroundings. Michiru looked down to her hand, conjoined with Saturn’s. This surreal environment, combined with her disbelief at being reunited with her eternal partner and Senshi family once more, made Neptune’s head spin. 

She would have thought she was dreaming, if it weren’t for Saturn’s hand squeezing hers, and the bright, genuine smile Uranus was casting in her direction. 

Pluto, who stood on Uranus’ opposite side, was staring down at her brooch. The burgundy light of her crystal resonated through the darkness. As the energy of each Guardian Soldier’s light diminished, their eyes turned to Setsuna’s persisting radiance. 

Saturn gave Neptune and Uranus a curt, reassuring nod. Neptune held back her questions. She resorted to crossing her arms and observing, waiting to learn what exactly their daughter and Sailor Moon were plotting. 

Michiru tried to remain silent, but a soft purr escaped her lips when she felt Uranus against her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She leaned against the taller warrior’s muscular frame. 

Saturn approached Sailor Pluto with Usagi standing beside her. Before Pluto could ask the obvious question on her tongue, the Guardian of Destruction spoke. 

“We can combine our powers and restore Charon castle.”

Uranus tilted her head, confused. Michiru blinked in kind. 

Then she recalled Setsuna’s story of how their apartment had been restored after Mimete’s attack in order to preserve their secret. Setsuna mentioned her and Saturn’s combined ability that had the power to restore inanimate objects. Michiru had used that idea as inspiration to combine her powers with Uranus. 

“Saturn…” Pluto placed her hands on the shorter Senshi’s shoulders. “The amount of energy that would take… Restoring the apartment depleted your energy for two days. It is too risky.”

Chopped raven locks swung as Hotaru shook her head. “No, Setsuna-mama, listen. I was thinking… Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa used the Silver Crystal to amplify their combined attack. We can do the same thing!”

When Pluto cast her daughter a dubious glance, Sailor Moon interrupted. “We can do it! Right, everyone?”

The congregation of cheers and support resonating from their fellow soldiers forced a subtle smile to tug at the corner of the Time Keeper’s lips. Michiru, in turn, felt her already wide smile broadening as well. 

“You can do it!” Sailor Jupiter cheered while Mercury nodded her support. 

“We’ll help!” Venus stepped forward. 

Mars, now fully healed thanks to the mysterious powers of the Equus-Lator, followed in her leader’s steps. “Let us help.”

Neptune squeezed Uranus’ hand before speaking on her behalf. “And so will we. It is the least we can do. After everything you’ve done to raise and protect me. For our mission…” 

Tuxedo Mask’s cape swished to the side. He took a step sideways, allowing the Omnivear to enter their circle. The once enormous creature with over one hundred legs was now a tiny, iridescent, Centaur-like creature. The Inner Senshi’s banter quieted as it approached Sailor Pluto. 

The oldest Sailor Guardian knelt down, putting herself at eye level with the alien. Everyone strained to hear the conversation between them, though no amount of silence would grant them access to the mental dialogue inside of Pluto’s mind. The girls shuffled impatiently. Saturn even leaned on her Glaive and sighed, anxious to put her plan into motion. 

Michiru watched Setsuna’s expression. Hundreds of years she had known this woman. The isolated Gate Keeper. The introvert who often survived years without speaking to a soul. Neptune thought she knew Pluto; as much as anyone could know the private Time Goddess, anyway. 

But these last eighteen years were the most revealing of all. Michiru hadn’t known who Setsuna truly was, of course. For all she knew, the enigma was a self-sacrificing, hard-working, intelligent woman who had taken a liking to her out of loneliness. Even though Michiru now realized Setsuna had ulterior motives behind befriending her parents and becoming her guardian, she saw a whole new side to Setsuna she’d only caught glimpses of before. 

Sailor Pluto was so many things to Michiru now, and in an even greater capacity than before. She was her mentor, friend, maternal figure, and comrade-in-arms. Setsuna had given every bit of herself over the last eighteen years to raise and protect Michiru. 

It was a debt she realized she could never repay. 

The moment Michiru came to that humbling realization, the Omnivear and Pluto glanced at her. With a gentle nod to the alien, Pluto returned to her feet. With one hand grasping the garnet rod and the other cupping the glowing crystal against her breast, Pluto faced Sailor Saturn. 

“Okay. We can try. But don’t overexert yourself.”

Saturn rolled her violet eyes. “Yes, Setsuna-mama…”

Everyone assumed their positions. The Omnivear rounded up the rest of the Equus-Lator a safe distance away from the gathered Senshi. In the center of the circle stood Eternal Sailor Moon, Silver Crystal proffered and ready. Mamoru stood behind her, prepared to funnel some of his energy into her if necessary. Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn took position on either side of Sailor Moon. Saturn’s dark amethyst crystal pulsated with the energy of her guardian planet. 

Pluto closed her eyes in concentration. The embodiment of her power answered Saturn’s call. The two Outer Scouts simultaneously raised their ancient weapons and shouted the name of their joint ability. 

“Reverse Rebirth!” 

Neptune clung to Uranus’ arm to brace herself against the awesome surge of power that followed. Chronos’ breath clashed with the essence of Life, creating a new form of energy unlike any other. Pluto’s dark typhoon carried the Glaive’s powers over life and death far across their destroyed surroundings. The Silver Crystal’s light grew, bathing all four of them in its immaculate essence. 

“Neptune’s Trident…” Michiru whispered in fascination as she took stock of the miracle happening around them. 

Wide-eyed, her partner swallowed and nodded in agreement. The couple, along with the Inner Senshi, could find no words to accurately portray their sheer disbelief. Change was happening all around them. Rocks and debris magically rose from the ground, returning to their previous state of being. Pieces of Charon castle floated and began reassembling themselves. The very air around them, cold and desolate, brightened with energy. 

“Everyone, now!” Venus called out. 

In a short blink, the transformative magic around them began to wane. Neptune and Uranus looked to the casters and Sailor Moon, who were weakening from the impressive, yet taxing, display. Mamoru was filling the princess with his life force, but it was not enough to support a spell of this magnitude. 

Keeping Uranus’ hand firmly gripped in her own, Neptune found her free hand claimed by Mars. They shared a knowing glance. 

There were no apologies. No formalities. Neptune knew why Mars acted the way she did in the cavern, and she suspected the Shrine Maiden felt the same. 

Everyone played their part, and love saved them all. 

Michiru’s eyes briefly wandered to the torn fabric of Mars’ fuku. Though she was fully healed, the bloodstain and shredded white bodice were proof that the Fire Senshi had fought and suffered just as much as any of them. 

Hands linked in a circle around the four, Neptune decided to lead the charge. 

“Neptune Planet Power!”

“Uranus Planet Power!”

The summons continued until all the Sailor Guardians were glowing with the strength of their respective planets. Neptune braced herself against the surge escaping her, fueling the burgundy and mauve ripples reshaping Pluto’s surface. 

As their surroundings traveled back in time to before the Dromedons destroyed Charon castle, Michiru felt the power waning from her allies. Mars’ hand trembled in hers. Uranus was holding her own, but her grip was loosening. 

Determined to give Pluto back the castle time and war had stolen from her, Michiru closed her eyes and concentrated. Behind her closed eyelids, all she could see was the aquamarine haze of her aura glowing around her. She honed into Pluto and Saturn’s signature energies, forfeiting everything she had into the Silver Crystal and their spell.

Just when Michiru was on the verge of collapsing, the familiar voice of the Omnivear spoke inside of her. 

_“It is done.”_

A collective sigh of relief filled the air. Michiru felt Rei’s hand slip from hers as she collapsed to her knees, with Venus protectively hovering around her. Neptune watched the couple, finding a part of herself reflected in their rekindled relationship. 

“Michiru. Look,” Uranus urged. 

“We did it! We did it!” Sailor Moon jumped up and down, clapping her hands. 

Michiru turned her gaze to the sky. Hovering just out of their reach was Charon Castle, floating beside the planet. Large, semi-circular platforms made of a material much like obsidian wrapped around a pointed central spire, which resembled a black diamond. The tips and edges of the inner spire glistened, despite having no nearby light source to reflect. The massive, floating entity was an architectural wonder. 

Fascinating as the castle was, Michiru was more interested in her fellow Senshi’s reaction to its resurrection. Pluto’s burgundy gaze was set upon the gift of her birthright she thought lost forever. Her crystal was no longer exposed, but Michiru could have sworn she felt it exuding an uncharacteristic warmth. Setsuna wrapped her arm around Saturn, and the two stared up at the castle in awe. 

Sailor Moon cleared her throat. Still acting unsure and afraid of the Equus-Lator, she leaned down toward their Supreme Being and stuttered. “So, um, we were thinking, maybe you would want to stay here? Until we can figure out how to restore your home, I mean?”

_“We accept,”_ the iridescent creature responded without hesitation. The rainbow hues of its strange skin ebbed and flowed against Charon Castle’s black light. _“There is no amount of gratitude for this new chance at life you have given us.”_

“We’re going to the castle.” Mercury approached the creature. Michiru could tell the curious scientist was forcing herself not to continue dissecting its composition with her visor. “Would you care to come?”

The Omnivear’s pupil-less eyes fell on Mercury, or so it appeared, before sweeping across all of the Senshi. _“My people and I will wait here.”_

As the Equus-Lator congregated, the Sailor Senshi gazed around the landscape. 

“Uh, how do we get to the castle?” Sailor Moon asked while scratching the side of her head. 

“Follow me,” Pluto instructed as she began walking ahead of the group. Neptune, Uranus and Saturn exchanged bemused looks before following along with the others. 

As they walked along Pluto’s quiet, abandoned landscape, Michiru glanced down to her and Uranus’ linked hands. Thus far, Uranus had kept true to her word; she hadn’t let go yet. Their gloves were nearly nonexistent, torn by the magnitude of their combined attack. 

“What are you thinking?” Uranus paused when she noticed Neptune staring at their conjoined hands. 

Knowing Haruka would be embarrassed if she drew attention to it, Michiru shook her head. “We’re finally together, as we should be.”

Uranus scratched the back of her sandy head. She chuckled and leaned forward before whispering in Michiru’s ear. “Not yet… That’ll have to come later.”

The unexpected flirting sent chills up Michiru’s spine. She scanned Haruka’s filthy and torn bodice. Her navy blue bow was ripped, showing more of the form-fitting bodice against her breasts than normal. Sailor Uranus standing before her was a dream: the ultimate warrior, belonging only to her. 

“I’ve missed you,” Michiru cooed while pulling Uranus closer. “All of you. But especially this version of you.”

Haruka leaned her head down, causing her blonde bangs to brush against Neptune’s forehead. The symbols hidden behind their tiaras resonated in sync. “I know… I’m sorry.”

Michiru shook her head. She stared into the stormy eyes of the Heavenly Warrior. What were once endless mysteries to her unawakened self were now exposed; vulnerable stories telling centuries of shared battles waged in the promise of keeping humanity safe. 

“No one has anything to be sorry for,” Neptune reassured her. She raised a hand to cup Uranus’ cheek, but the moment was interrupted. 

“Are you two coming?” Saturn called out from afar. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Uranus waved her free hand and rolled her eyes. “Come on. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can go home.”

Michiru’s chest swelled at the thought of being home, at long last, with Sailor Uranus.

The couple followed the rest of the Sailor Senshi onto a metallic, circular object embedded into Pluto’s bedrock. Neptune stood between Uranus and Pluto, still in somewhat of a daze as they all huddled together and the Inner Scouts chatted amongst themselves. Mars was frowning as Sailor Moon and Venus smothered her with attention. Jupiter watched on with an amused grin, while Mercury’s eyes never left her handheld computer. 

Once the group was in position, the garnet rod was raised high above their heads. 

Sailor Pluto’s timeless voice spread across the vast reaches of her Guardian planet. “Charon Castle!”

The orb blinked, and with it so did the Senshi, from the teleportation pad on Pluto’s surface to the inside of a complex control room. Sprawled all around them were monitors, displays, incubators, and other equipment Neptune could not so much as guess what their functions may be. Every button and knob was backlit with a burgundy glow. The language flashing across the otherwise black screens was not one Michiru recognized.

“Amazing!” Mercury predictably dove into the elaborate equipment, studying every keypad and button. Pluto followed her at a close distance, answering all of her questions to the best of her ability. 

While Pluto entertained Sailor Mercury, Tuxedo Mask turned to the others. “What do we do now?”

Sailor Moon tilted her head. “What do you mean, Mamo-chan?”

Venus cleared her throat. “The Equus-Lator can’t return to their home galaxy. It’s still overrun by the poison that infected them.”

“And there’s no guarantee it won’t spread here as well,” Mars finished. 

“So,” Jupiter stroked her chin pensively. “You’re saying we still need to find a way to purify the whole Andromeda galaxy?” 

“And destroy the poison’s source.” Saturn’s voice assumed a lethal tone. “We know next to nothing about it.”

“I can help with that,” Neptune interrupted. Michiru stepped closer to Saturn and the princess. “Our deaths forged a mental link with the Equus-Lator. I touched Cyprine’s forehead and witnessed everything that happened to them. The poison, the strange creature that corrupted their leader, seems to have been a fragment of Chaos. It’s gone, now. We should only have it’s remaining toxins in Andromeda to contend with.”

“We can do it! Just like today.” Usagi turned and smiled at the Outer Senshi couple. “Now that everyone is finally here.”

“Usa-ko…” Mamoru’s cerulean eyes narrowed skeptically. He gently laid his gloved hand on her shoulder. “We’re talking about an entire galaxy.”

“We’ll arrange a meeting in a few days to talk it over,” Venus suggested. “For now, we should all go home and rest.”

“Home?” Jupiter sighed. “I haven’t had a place to call home in over twenty years!”

Mercury appeared beside the taller soldier. With a shy smile, she offered, “I’ve been keeping up the payments on my late mother’s house. You can stay with me for now.”

Michiru gently elbowed the billionaire, who winced. Uranus hesitantly spoke up, “I own property everywhere. Anywhere you want to stay, it’s on me.”

“I heard you have super fancy hotels in the Caribbean! Can Mamo-chan and I stay in one of those!?” Sailor Moon perked up.

“Sure,” Haruka groaned while Michiru giggled. 

“Rei-chan and I are coming too!” Mina cheered. 

“Fine, but you’re staying in a separate room!” Usagi stuck her tongue out at Minako, seeming annoyed her idea was being copied. 

“Obviously,” Rei grumbled and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Minako and Miko, and the royals. I’ll make the arrangements,” Haruka agreed, deadpan. 

“Let’s go home.” Michiru turned to her family. “I suspect we have a lot of catching up to do.”

**♆**

The four Outer Senshi sat in the very dining room where Neptune, Pluto, and Mars fought Cyprine and Ptilol. It was early morning. Haruka barely had time to ensure none of her staff were coming in for the day to allow the four of them to openly speak about whatever they wanted. 

After arranging an all-expense paid stay in one of her hotels for the couples as promised, then touching base with Julian and Turner, including spending a lot of time promising Julian an exorbitantly paid position on her payroll as an official secret-keeper of sorts, Haruka poured wine for the three adults and gave Hotaru a glass of soda. Ravenous, Haruka and Hotaru shared some famous New York City pizza. 

Feasting on their breakfast of pepperoni pizza and wine, most of the time was spent getting Haruka up to speed with the events she missed during this lifetime. 

“So, wait.” Haruka set her glass of Egon Muller Riesling down on the table. She was still wearing the damaged dress shirt from their event the previous evening, but it was covered with a leather jacket. Haruka’s arm was slung around Michiru’s shoulder. “You’re saying you do actually work for NASA?”

“By a technicality,” Setsuna began her explanation. “Ami owns and operates a contracting company which oversees nearly all scientific ventures. Astrophysics, biology, chemical engineering, and others. As one of her employees, I then gained a contract with NASA.”

“Thus gaining access to all of their data and equipment,” Michiru reasoned before taking another sip of the superb, and offensively expensive, wine.

Setsuna subtly nodded her verdant head before polishing off her second glass of wine. “Any more questions?”

Hotaru cast Haruka a mildly amused glare while chewing on a mouthful of pizza. She sat beside Setsuna, leaning against her oldest mother. The sheer joy of being reunited once more kept a steady glow about the otherwise solemn Guardian. 

“Well, gee, I dunno…” Haruka scratched the back of her head and gazed up at the ceiling. “Oh! What about when we were being chased in the cars? Were you and Rei there?”

Setsuna’s burgundy eyes narrowed with mirth. “Yes. Rei and I were in one vehicle. Tellu, and your security were in the others. As for the fourth…”

“We suspect Kaori or Tomoe. Though we never found out,” Michiru answered for Setsuna. Haruka chewed on her pizza crust as she thought about that day. 

“I remember that day well.” Michiru recalled the high speed car chase, but from another perspective. Her free hand reached across Haruka’s lap beneath the cover of the table. She walked her fingers across Haruka’s thigh, seeking out the strap-on she knew to be hiding inside of her pants. 

Haruka’s cheeks turned red, but no one else seemed to notice. 

“I have a question…” Hotaru whispered. She placed a half-eaten piece of pizza down on her plate. 

Setsuna turned to the girl sitting beside her. “Yes, Hotaru-chan?”

Hotaru’s round, dark eyes implored Setsuna’s. “Are you going back to the Space-Time Gate, Setsuna-mama?”

The Timekeeper smoothed Hotaru’s straight ebony hair. The maternal gaze Setsuna set upon her was intimately familiar to Michiru. The softness settling into her otherwise sharp edges. The slight tug at the corner of her lips. Michiru had been on the receiving end of that stare more times than she could count over the last eighteen years. As appreciative of Setsuna’s guiding adoration as she was, Michiru was happy to see it directed to Hotaru, where it belonged. 

“No, Firefly. Not anytime soon.”

“Good.” Haruka took a swig of her wine and set the glass down. “Because you’re moving in with us.”

Michiru raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Haruka, do you mean--?”

“I bought a house. For Michiru and I. We’ll be moving in shortly. You need to come with us… So things can be as they were before. Is that what you want, Hotaru-chan?” Haruka winked. 

“I would love that.” Hotaru‘s serious eyes glinted with suppressed excitement. “And you, Setsuna-mama?”

Setsuna smiled. “Of course.”

Michiru watched, but did not object, as Haruka topped off her wine glass once more. Her face was warm and her body light, but she was looking forward to drinking more of the white wine. 

After lifting her glass, she further studied the adult trapped in a teenager’s body. Looking at her waifish figure and dark, doe eyes, Hotaru’s civilian form made it easy to forget the true depths of her power and experiences. Michiru had to acknowledge this was not the young woman she unintentionally left behind all those years ago. 

Reacquainting herself with Hotaru, and all the other Senshi, would be a fitting way to fill her schedule during this time of peace. 

“Great. Once this is all settled we’ll move in together,” Haruka reasoned as she refilled both her and Setsuna’s glasses. “More pizza, Firefly?”

“Yes, please.”

Haruka dropped Hotaru’s third slice onto her paper plate. Haruka, a Senshi who always had a healthy appetite, took a third piece for herself as well. 

Michiru knew she must be famished; Angela’s earlier chastising had merit behind it. With the headaches and stress, this was the first time in weeks Michiru had seen her lover eat a decent meal. 

Reminding herself that all that was in the past, Michiru laid her head on Haruka’s shoulder. There was no reason to withhold affection anymore. The depressing habit Michiru had developed in response to Haruka’s debilitating headaches was easy for the Deep Sea Guardian to shove aside. 

Instead of pushing her away as Haruka had forced herself to do recently, Uranus pulled Neptune as close together as their separate seats would allow.

“What did the Omnivear say to you? After we restored Charon Castle?” Michiru asked Setsuna. 

The Space-Time Guardian slowly rolled the wine glass in her fingers, watching the transparent liquid twirl inside. After a few seconds of thought, she spoke. “Apologies and gratitude, at first. It asked if they could stay on Pluto indefinitely, if our attempts to wipe the corrupting poison from their galaxy fail. I accepted, of course…”

“And?” Haruka prompted when Setsuna hesitated. 

Setsuna looked at the couple with a complicated expression. Michiru felt her relief, but also the immense gravity behind what she was about to say. “It said humans are an amazing, awe-inspiring species. From living amongst humans, to living inside their bodies, to absorbing your memories, the Equus-Lator have learned much. It believes in the Legendary Silver Crystal’s power. It said the love you two have shared for centuries had no equal in Andromeda.”

“Is that so?” Michiru turned and gave her lover a teasing smile. “What do you think, Ruka?”

“Me? Umm…” Haruka’s endearing blush intensified when Michiru’s fingers found their way inside her waistband. “I agree?”

Michiru released a satisfied croon while Hotaru tilted her head. Setsuna cleared her throat and stood. “Time to get some rest, Hotaru-chan.”

Hotaru frowned, but did not object. Michiru saw the reluctance in her eyes, but the smallest Senshi could not argue with her belly full of pizza and exhaustion catching up to her. 

“We’ll move into our new house soon,” Haruka reassured her. “And we can all be together again.”

“Okay,” Hotaru perked at the notion. Michiru pushed herself from the table, not as gracefully as normal thanks to the wine, and accompanied the others to the front entrance. 

The Deep Sea Guardian let her hold on Hotaru linger as they bid farewell. Michiru let the Guardian of Silence’s sweet scent and demure smile comfort her. 

When Michiru relinquished her hold on Hotaru, she stood and caught Setsuna’s affectionate smile. 

“Setsuna?” Michiru began when a thought came to her. 

“Hmm?” The Time Keeper arched an emerald eyebrow. 

“You had a vision of the Space-Time Gate being breeched, didn’t you? That’s why you left for the gate, back then?”

Setsuna paused while putting on her jacket. She set her burgundy eyes on Michiru, reflecting the exact gaze she gave her before departing that day.

After besetting them with a melancholic, distant gaze, she finished buttoning her peacoat. “Yes. And despite it all, I failed in the end.”

Haruka cocked her head to the side. “Why do you say that? We won.”

“My charge is to stop invaders from entering. I felt the disturbance in Space-Time, but I didn’t act quickly enough. I allowed myself to be distracted, and you all paid the price.”

“We’re all allowed to be distracted once in a while,” Michiru lulled in a teasing tone. “In fact, you could stand to be distracted much more often, Setsuna.”

“Good night.” Setsuna frowned, not seeming to be in the mood for Michiru’s tipsy teasing. Hotaru gave Michiru a knowing glance before following Setsuna out the door. 

After bidding good night to their comrades, the pair turned to each other. Haruka’s broad grin, assisted at least in part by the wine they shared, made Michiru’s heart flutter. 

Having Haruka present, with her, was all she could ever want. 

“Let’s get you to bed,” Michiru suggested. After the story Haruka told of her kidnapping and imprisonment, which Michiru knew was toned down for her and Hotaru’s sake, she felt her possessive, protective instincts rekindled. 

“Me?” The blonde chuckled, but didn’t argue while Michiru led her to the bedroom. “Your night was just as eventful.”

Sailor Neptune had no desire to dwell over the trials and tribulations of the last twelve hours. She was content feeling Haruka’s warmth, reinvigorated with Uranus’ returned energy, beside her. “All I want is to lay down and wake up beside you. Hopefully many hours later.”

Haruka grinned. Her stormy eyes had more wrinkles and were more sunken than yesterday, but they burdened no pain and sparkled like the stars orbiting Uranus. 

Once they entered the bedroom, Michiru made her comfortable on the bed and began removing her shirt. Haruka acted stiff, and skeptically amused, with how carefully Michiru was treating her. 

Unzipping Haruka’s leather jacket revealed layers of bloodstains on the dress shirt below it. Michiru froze, somewhere between sadness and rage, while facing the proof of what they had done to her. 

“You’re still wearing it…” Haruka reached for the necklace dangling from Michiru’s neck. She felt Haruka’s fingertips, and the electricity their contact elicited, stroking the gems of her Pisces constellation.

Michiru knew she was trying to distract her. Without looking up from her task of unbuttoning Haruka’s shirt, she answered, “of course. Every day.”

After removing Haruka’s filthy suit, Michiru procured a clean cotton pajama set from Haruka’s bountiful wardrobe. The drawstring pants featured navy and teal stripes, and the soft tank was navy blue as well. 

While Haruka used the bathroom, Michiru slipped into a comfortable one-piece satin nightgown. Her hair was a mess, but she was too exhausted to pay it much mind. As she collected their soiled garments from the floor, she felt a firm object in the pocket of Haruka’s jacket. 

Uranus’ planetary symbol was poking out. Michiru pulled the wand from the pocket. With her fingers wrapped around the emblem containing the power of a thousand windstorms, Michiru mentally braced herself against its amazing power. She closed her eyes, soaking in the very essence of Uranus. The magic poured through her for a brief moment before she set it, alongside her own lip rod, on the nightstand. 

Michiru pulled the sheets back. The crisp, clean bed looked more inviting than ever. Though she had slept here every night for months, tonight was different. 

This was the start of a new beginning. Tonight, after so many nights of pining and swallowing her tears, she would be beside her Heavenly Warrior once more. 

Haruka didn’t complain when Michiru helped her into bed. Michiru could feel the smart comments on her lips, but the tomboy kept them to herself. The couple made themselves comfortable on the bed, with the tips of their noses touching and their fingers entwined. The sexual static between them hummed, keeping them awake long enough to stare into each other’s eyes while reliving centuries worth of memories together. 

The warmth of Uranus’ essence weighed her down like a comfortable blanket. Michiru’s fingers traveled every crease in the warrior’s hands. She couldn’t turn away from Haruka’s soft, yet intense stare, but her eyelids eventually stopped cooperating. 

“Hey, Michiru…” 

She was floating, and must have been dreaming. “Hmm?”

“Why me?” 

The unexpected question made Michiru’s eyelids flutter open. Haruka was staring at her slumbering visage, cheeks tinted with embarrassment. 

Half-asleep and half-drunk, Michiru assumed she had missed something. “What?”

Haruka cleared her throat. “Why me?”

Michiru narrowed her eyes at the queer question. There was an uncharacteristic insecurity in Haruka’s question; not in regard to Michiru’s loyalty, but rather the reasoning behind it. 

Releasing Haruka’s hands, Michiru stroked the sandy bangs away from her forehead and the golden symbol slumbering beneath her skin. She twirled Haruka’s hair around her fingers while contemplating a combination of words that could even begin to give her eternal feelings justice. 

“That’s a silly question…” Michiru trilled before turning serious. “Water is stagnant without the wind to move it, Haruka. The ocean has no waves, no life, without a breeze to sustain it... My fighting spirit, my music, my art… None of it held any meaning or had any soul before you. It’s a pattern I’ve never been able to escape.”

Haruka’s smoky teal eyes glossed over. Instead of interrupting or turning away, she persisted in her intense staring while listening to Michiru struggle to put thousands of years of love into words. 

“I want to preserve your innocence. Yet I want to fight beside you. I want to let you fly… But I also want to keep you locked in a cage with me. These paradoxes are frightening and confusing, but they also excite and fascinate me.”

Haruka didn’t speak. She didn’t move, either. Her continuous stare, moist eyes, and unusual silence began to concern Michiru. 

Then, as if a switch inside of her head was pressed, Haruka sprang into action. Her agility and lithe movement managed to catch Michiru by surprise. 

Neptune’s warrior found herself smothered between Haruka and the bed. The angles and curves of Haruka’s body pressed into her through their clothing, almost as urgently as her lips. 

Michiru recovered and returned the kiss with abundant urgency. Haruka’s unexpected advance intensified the gnawing hunger in her belly. 

This energy. This desire. It was different than what Michiru had come to expect these last few months. 

Then again, Haruka was different now. She was Sailor Uranus again. 

And now, they were both whole.

Michiru suddenly felt overdressed and uncomfortably hot. The thin nightgown may as well have been wool, considering the stifling heat radiating into her from Haruka’s body. She snaked her hands inside of Haruka’s top to squeeze the firm hips and muscles supporting them. 

“I love you,” Haruka whispered as her lips traveled down the side of Michiru’s face, to her neck. 

“I love you,” Michiru replied, pausing to sigh as teeth sank into her flesh. “More than—”

“More than I know?” Haruka raised her head to flash Michiru a daring grin. “Not anymore.” 

“Hmm… I suppose not,” Michiru crooned. She narrowed her eyes, casting Haruka a seductive glance. “Now you know. And I trust you to believe it.”

“I guess I still don’t understand it.” Haruka released a raspy chuckle at her own expense. “But I believe you.” 

“Good.” 

The brief reprieve was over. Haruka consumed her neck with the same voracity as her mouth. Michiru felt her urgency; the need to ravish her in an attempt to reclaim the years stolen from them. 

“I’ve missed you…” Michiru airly sighed as Haruka suckled on her neck with the exact amount of pressure she needed. She enjoyed the attention Haruka lavished upon her neck, but her wandering hands became impatient. Her fingernails traveled up the inside of Haruka’s shirt until they found two pert nipples to fondle. 

With a throaty groan Haruka pressed the length of her body further into her. Haruka’s mouth traveled to Michiru’s exposed clavicle. Michiru could barely move her hips against the warrior pinning her down. 

“No more headaches.” Haruka sat up and removed her top. Michiru’s libido kicked into overdrive at the sight of her lover’s perky breasts, pink where her fingers had squeezed. The twined muscle fibers and taut skin were the same as she remembered, except every inch of her body was imbued with golden energy and might. 

Haruka was the same, and yet, after accepting the power of her birthright, she was different. 

Before Michiru could reach for Haruka’s breasts once more, Haruka disappeared. The sudden emptiness brought a pout to her lips, which transformed into a pitched moan when a pair of teeth sank into her inner thigh. “Ah! Ruka.”

“I missed you too,” Haruka murmured. Hot breath cascading against her inner thighs sent shivers up her spine. Michiru got a keener sense of what specific thing Haruka missed when her panties were removed and Haruka’s head disappeared beneath the short hem of her nightgown. 

“Mmm…” Michiru relished in the attention Haruka’s tongue bestowed upon her clit. The familiar, and incredibly erotic, sensations drove Michiru mad. The languid strokes grew bolder over time, accelerating Michiru’s quickening orgasm. Heels dug into the mattress and fists full of sheets, Michiru thrashed her head back and forth until she caught a glimpse of the glistening items on the nightstand. 

“Oh Ruka…” Michiru’s eyes never left the nightstand. 

She felt Haruka’s alarm with her sudden unresponsiveness. Haruka slid out from beneath the satin dress. Feeling her partner’s warmth pressed up against her again, Michiru tore her gaze from the nightstand to gaze into her eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” Haruka asked. 

Her sweet, earnest tone made Michiru giggle. She cupped Haruka’s cheek. “Nothing’s wrong, silly. I was just thinking…” 

“Uh oh.” Haruka made no effort to conceal her bemused reaction. “Are you going to make me take you to the Skyloft?”

“No…” Michiru snaked a hand behind Haruka’s head. She pulled her lover’s face into hers. Smelling and tasting herself on Haruka’s lips was such a heady, lustful feeling. Michiru licked every trace of herself from Haruka’s tongue before continuing. “It’s been so long since I’ve had my Heavenly Warrior, I want to feel her inside of me.”

Haruka tilted her head, blinking with an endearing, clueless expression. Michiru cupped her chin and gently turned her head toward the nightstand. Flustered blush crept up her chest and neck when she realized what Michiru was referencing. “I, um, I don’t…”

Michiru couldn’t help the self-satisfied smirk adorning her face. “Are you going to make me beg, Sailor Uranus?”

Haruka cleared her throat and shook her head. “No. Not tonight. Um, I mean, unless you want to.”

Michiru narrowed her eyes at Haruka before reaching across the bed and grabbing the item in question. Just as before, the transformation wand resonated with Uranus’ pure, unencumbered magic. It was the very embodiment of Haruka’s core; the warmth and natural phenomenon that was the wind. 

Haruka gingerly took her transformation stick and swallowed. To help relieve her nerves, Michiru cupped her hand over Haruka’s and guided them down her body. The rod’s magic rippled like a current against her nightgown. The crimson blotching Haruka’s face turned darker as Michiru’s hand helped position the smooth end of the stick against her entrance. 

“Are… Are you sure about this?” Haruka gripped the end with her planetary symbol, waiting for confirmation. Her abashed attitude, in light of all the sex acts they had performed on each other over the years, was one of hundreds of things Michiru would never stop loving about her. 

“Ahh…” Michiru caught her breath as Uranus’ essence resonated against her eager sex. “More than sure.”

Guiding Haruka’s hand with her own, they slipped the lip rod into Michiru’s slick canal, not stopping until the ornate heart was pressed against her. The comforting warmth of Uranus’ presence pulsated inside of her. The throbbing of her muscles intensified before Haruka so much as moved it. 

“Are you okay?” Haruka asked when Michiru’s entire body stiffened. 

Remembering herself, Michiru grabbed the back of Haruka’s head more forcefully than she intended. The magic stirred a carnal, frenzied urge inside of her. “Don’t. Stop.”

Haruka grunted as Michiru pulled her down. She balanced herself on one elbow while her other hand began servicing her Sea Goddess as requested. 

Michiru tried maintaining eye contact. She bore her azure orbs with every ounce of intensity and ecstasy into Haruka, inciting her to thrust the shaft harder and faster. But as each thrust spread Uranus’ essence deeper inside of her, it became harder and harder to maintain her composure. The impending orgasm was maddening in its own right, but something magical, something more intimate, was surging through her veins. 

“Ngh, Uranus… please…” Michiru grit her teeth but she was unable to contain her moans. She was no longer with Haruka Tenoh, the billionaire CEO, the racecar driver, or any other alter ego she’d assumed over the years. She was Uranus, the unstoppable warrior Neptune had been completely consumed by since the day they met hundreds of years ago. Her raw power filled Michiru’s body until her blood sang. 

The stirrings Michiru felt in her chest revived with the fury of the angry seas. Neptune’s crystal awakened, responding to the call of its mate inside of her. Michiru felt it; the slumbering goddess of the deep seas stirring. Even if she were in a state to subdue Neptune’s immersion, she couldn’t. Uranus and her magic brought forth every ounce of pleasure and power from within her crystal. 

“Neptune…” Uranus whispered in awe when they were submerged in her aquamarine light. 

Michiru felt her trident and the surge of energy alongside it exploding in sync with her rippling orgasm. With each wave of ecstasy came a pulse of light and a distant memory of lovemaking in the waterfalls of her home planet. The euphoria accompanying her transformations, combined with the depths of her relief and adoration for the woman inside of her, created the most intense and bountiful orgasms she had ever experienced. 

Trembling with physical and mental exhaustion, she clung to Sailor Uranus like the desperate lover she was. Minutes passed before the ethereal light blazing from her forehead began to fade; coinciding with the lingering effects of the mind-shattering orgasms. Michiru hadn’t realized how deep her fingernails sank into her lover’s flesh until she felt Haruka peeling her off and laying her down on the bed. 

Laying amongst the clouds in the heavens, with her partner beside her, Michiru was sedated and content. The tingling and warmth in her forehead and loins persisted, making it difficult to speak when Haruka hovered above her with a sweet, concerned look. 

“Are you okay? That was… You were…”

Michiru sighed with a dazed smile. “I love you.”

“You already said that,” Haruka chuckled and nuzzled her neck. “I need to clean you up… You made a mess.”

“Later,” Michiru insisted, but her order was more of a whine. She tugged at the waistband of Haruka’s pajama pants. “Take these off…”

Haruka obliged, going so far as to assist Michiru out of her soaked satin. They lay together, cuddling in silence as Michiru contemplated the potency of her magically-enhanced orgasms. Every cell in her body came to life as Uranus flowed through her. 

Anxious as she was to return the favor, Michiru had other ideas. 

“Ruka.” She broke the comfortable silence. 

Haruka’s hands were everywhere, lovingly stroking her sensitive skin. “Want some water? Your voice is cracking.”

“I am thirsty…” Michiru couldn’t help herself. “But I don’t want water.”

“Oh. What then? More wine? Juice?” Michiru giggled in response to Haruka’s innocent line of questioning. 

“You’re so experienced, and yet so naive,” Michiru teased. When Haruka frowned, she added, “it’s one of the many qualities I adore in you.”

Haruka blinked. “So, are you saying…?”

“I want you. And I’m still not ready to move.”

“You’re trouble.” Haruka’s husky whisper held a modicum of amusement. Michiru could see her piecing together her request, realizing why she insisted Haruka remove her pants. 

“Get on top of me so I can have a taste of my long lost warrior.” Michiru accentuated her demand by combing her fingers through Haruka’s nest of coarse blonde hair. 

Haruka swallowed a groan before acting out Michiru’s orders. She climbed on top of Michiru, straddling her face with her thighs. Michiru barely gave Haruka enough time to make herself comfortable against the headboard before pulling Haruka down into her. 

“Oh, I’ve missed this,” Michiru whispered against Haruka’s sex. Her hands moved from Haruka’s narrow hips, around her muscular thighs, to the moist labia she was eager to have in her mouth. 

It had been far, far too long since Neptune ravaged Uranus in their true, destined states. The insecurities, the confusion, the secrets… they were finally gone, replaced with unmitigated understanding, clarity, and affection. 

Haruka’s only response was a throaty groan, since Michiru’s hands and tongue wasted no time reacquainting themselves. Neptune knew precisely what would bring her partner to orgasm, of course, but she was content to play and taste Haruka until she could stand it no longer. 

Michiru lifted the hood concealing Haruka’s clitoris. Pleased to see and feel the proof of her warrior’s arousal, Michiru purred with delight. “I won’t stop until my thirst is quenched.”

“I know.” Haruka braced herself when Michiru’s lips surrounded her clit. 

Haruka liked to be sucked fast and hard. She bore the urgency and speed of a windstorm. Under normal circumstances Michiru would be happy to oblige, but she was determined to make Haruka squirm. 

And squirm she did. As Michiru applied her slow, deliberate oral ministrations, Haruka did not hesitate in expressing how much she was enjoying herself. There was no hesitation. The fear and reservations that used to stand between them were finally gone. 

“Michiru… stop teasing me…” Haruka moaned. Her hips pressed down into Michiru’s face, desperately grinding for release. 

Michiru couldn’t speak a reply, as enveloped in her lover’s essence as she was. Her hands returned to Haruka’s hips, helping her rock back and forth. 

“Those headaches… Not being able to touch you… It was—ngh—torture.” Haruka’s heartfelt admission, a plea for Michiru to finish her, worked. 

Michiru dug her fingernails into Haruka’s rear. She sucked and rocked Haruka into her with increased voracity. Hot juices poured from Haruka’s opening, drowning Neptune with the depths of her desire. 

Michiru had tasted Haruka’s juices in this lifetime. But now that Haruka had awakened, now that she was finally herself, it was different. Uranus’ magic poured from her; sweat and ocean breeze and sweet, heady musk. 

As promised, Michiru drank her fill while Haruka quivered and clung to the headboard. Filling her senses and belly with Haruka’s arousal reawakened her, reminding Michiru of her original intentions. 

Hands clamped on Haruka’s waist, Michiru grabbed her and threw her down onto the bed. Without looking away from Haruka’s flushed face and sweaty bangs, she grabbed her lip rod from the nightstand. 

The serene peace of a quiet ocean tingled in her palm. Michiru firmly grasped the decorative tip and leveled her gaze at her nervous partner. “Ready?”

“As ever.” Haruka reached up and pulled Michiru down into her. The couple exchanged saliva and the tangy remnants of their orgasms. Michiru prolonged their intimate kissing and touching, waiting to penetrate Haruka until she was as relaxed as possible.

Michiru’s fingers explored while they kissed. Haruka’s entrance was slick and throbbing, ready to feel the entirety of Neptune’s magic inside of her. 

From the bottom to the heart-shaped emblem, Michiru slipped it inside; inch by excruciating inch. 

“Oh… wow.” Haruka sucked in her breath, seeming unprepared for the unusual, erotic sensations inside of her. 

“What do you think?” Michiru whispered while slowly thrusting the wand back and forth. 

“It’s, like…” Haruka closed her eyes and moaned. “The radiance of your crystal… rippling through my body.”

“Hmmm… sounds nice.” Michiru smiled, already longing to feel Uranus’ aura inside of her again. 

“Neptune.” Haruka clung to her, as desperately as Michiru had while at her mercy. 

“Uranus,” she responded to the gentle plea, harkening back to their Silver Millennium lovemaking. 

Michiru felt the tingling of her birthright growing stronger as she stroked Haruka closer and closer to orgasm. Her lover’s deep cries and persistent swaying plunged them into a shared euphoria. 

“Ah… Michiru!” Crystals burned with need. Their foreheads pressed together as Haruka quickly came for Neptune’s princess. 

As expected, Uranus’ golden symbol appeared on her forehead. Michiru felt its light and power against her skin. Knowing how Haruka must feel, she basked in her lover’s toe-curling moans while keeping her transformation stick inside of her. The coming warrior’s body shook and trembled beneath her, coming again and again, until Michiru finally had mercy on her. 

Michiru couldn’t have been more pleased. 

Haruka’s chest heaved as she came down from her magical perch. Michiru felt the intense pulse of her emblem gradually dimming as she came down from her orgasm. Their warm bodies and hot breaths collided. Neither was willing to relinquish their hold on the other for long, satiating minutes. 

Michiru eventually removed her lip rod and set it down beside them. Haruka’s hold tightened as she ravaged Michiru’s mouth with renewed hunger. 

Lips and limbs entwined. The perpetual cycle of love and war, their destinies that they happily fulfilled with every lifetime, persisted as they began to make love once more. 

“Haruka…” Michiru caught her breathe and tilted her head. Her lover’s unquenchable thirst, while welcome, was unusual. “What is it?”

The eyes looking up into hers sparkled with amazing, teal clarity. Haruka grabbed her tousled, unruly curls and grinned. 

“Oh, just thought I’d show you how much I appreciate you… That’s all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll never look at transformation wands the same way again.


	39. The More Things Change...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone makes plans for the future, and Haruka’s parents finally meet Michiru.

**♅**

Haruka tried paying attention to the meeting. She really did. They were supposed to be talking about what to do with the Equus-Lator, and brainstorming a plan to help them cleanse their home so they could eventually return. Setsuna voiced no complaints about them being refugees on Pluto. In fact, the Space-Time Guardian seemed pleased about the entire situation. But the group unanimously agreed that returning them to their home galaxy was the right course of action.

At least, that was the impression Haruka was getting. She was having a difficult time focusing on the Inner Senshi’s banter or the Chinese takeout she provided for the meeting. 

The source of Haruka’s distraction playfully shoved a spring roll into her agape mouth. “Pay attention, Ruka.”

The coy whisper, and knowing she got caught staring, made Haruka blush. She chewed the spring roll and grinned. “Why? Am I being volunteered to supply refreshments from now on?”

“I’m sure that would make Mamoru happy,” Michiru trilled in a seductive, self-satisfied tone. 

Haruka knew she was being played as expertly as Marine Cathedral, but she didn’t care. She was elated to be whole again, with the only woman she had ever, and could ever, love. This meeting was the furthest they had ventured from bed since their reunion. The last week was a euphoric cycle of lovemaking, catnapping, and eating whatever meals Angela had prepared and left in the refrigerator. 

However, duty called, and the honeymooning couple reluctantly returned to reality. Haruka went back to the office and Michiru completed the last week of the college semester. As per Michiru’s suggestion, Haruka drafted new contracts with her personal staff members, changing the non-disclosure portion of their employment agreement from hiding her biological sex to their secret identities. She officially hired Julian Wildes on as her official damage control secret-keeper, paying him a handsome salary to use his skills as a private investigator and hacker to help keep the Sailor “super heroes” identities hidden.

A lifetime of free TexMex would have been sufficient bribery for Joshua’s silence. In fact, he and Turner took the news surprisingly well. Prescott’s first hand experience swayed Turner, who was in disbelief over the lucrative tale at first. A couple of demonstrations, a promised pay raise, and a few threatening words from Michiru sorted the entire thing out. 

And now, the CEO billionaire was hosting their first Senshi meeting in her New York City home. The last time she and Michiru had participated in one of these was literally a lifetime ago. Being here, with Neptune and the other Senshi, felt infinitely more natural than being a white collar businessman. 

“Hello! Earth to Haruka!” 

Michiru giggled behind her hand as Haruka turned to Minako. “That’s Haruka-san to you.”

Mina cupped her hand behind her ear. “What’d you say? Haruka-chan? Well, ok, if you insist, but Rei-chan might get jealous.”

The Fire Senshi chomped hard on the chopsticks in her mouth and frowned. 

“There’s no need for _Miko_ to get jealous.” Haruka leaned over the table, toward the Inner Senshi couple across from her. Now that Haruka was pulled from her daydreaming, she noticed there was something different about Rei’s appearance. Streaked through her long raven hair were bold, crimson strips. Haruka said nothing aloud, but she considered it a good look for the fiery woman. 

“I think you’re the one who should be jealous, Mina-chan,” Haruka continued. “Did you know she made me an amulet?” 

Ami looked up from her book with a cautious glance. 

Minako pointed her chopsticks at Haruka. “It’s a good thing she did, too! Your dumb ass went and got yourself kidnapped!”

Makoto and Usagi both choked on their mouthfuls of food. Artemis, who was perched on his owner’s shoulder, smacked his paw against his forehead.

Michiru and Hotaru giggled. Not seeming fazed in the slightest, Michiru patted her insulted partner on the back. “Oh my. Minako-chan has become rather brazen in our absence.”

“Among other things,” Rei grumbled into her soup. 

“And Rei-chan’s gotten grumpier!” Usagi took a stab at the Shrine Maiden, who fixated a surly glance her way. 

“I’m not grumpy!” 

“You better not be grumpy after everything I did for you last night!” Mina poked Rei’s blushing cheek with her chopsticks and turned to Makoto. “You’d never guess that Rei likes—“

“Okay, okay! That’s enough!” Sailor Jupiter waved both of her hands in a desperate attempt to shut the chatty Soldier of Love up before Rei killed her. 

Usagi giggled, looking satisfied and relieved to witness the banter of her soldiers. Haruka assumed this casual, nostalgic scene was not common during the long war. 

Mamoru, who was standing behind Usagi picking at a bowl of fried rice, shared a glance with Setsuna. The eldest Senshi spoke up. “We were discussing installing more teleporters. Here, for example. And your new home. As well as other locations where everyone may decide to stay.”

Haruka dropped her flirty facade and returned to business. “But we’re moving out soon. Anyone want to stay here?”

“Can Rei and I stay here until I start school in Paris?” Mina asked.

“After you just called her a dumbass?” Rei retorted. 

The Sailor Mars Haruka remembered was always a bit bristly, but seeing her with flushed cheeks and constant embarrassment over her relationship with their leader was more humorous than Haruka anticipated. 

“Of course,” Michiru calmly answered for them. “And after?”

“I’ll come. I still haven’t decided on a regular place to stay,” Jupiter indirectly asked. 

Ami, who was sitting beside her, closed and set her book on the table. “Then I will come with you. Setsuna and I still have a lot of equipment to build and work to do in the laboratory.”

“Then it is decided.” Setsuna nodded to Hotaru, who checked the item off from a handwritten list. 

“The only thing left on our list is the Equus-Lator,” Hotaru said while tapping the eraser on her pencil against the table. “How do we help them?”

Every pair of eyes gravitated toward Michiru and Haruka. Haruka, in turn, set a questioning gaze to Michiru. 

If anyone knew how to return their alien visitors back to Andromeda, it was her. Michiru linked with “Cyprine” and saw everything; the alpha and omega of their species. The invasion and rapid devolution at the hands of the parasitic invader. Michiru unintentionally gained a wealth of knowledge about the species, and in their extended private time over the last few days she had divulged what she understood to Haruka. Many of the images and sounds she was still mentally sorting through and trying to make sense of. 

Haruka gave Michiru’s hand a gentle squeeze, sending subtle shockwaves through her hand. 

Michiru glanced at Haruka with equal parts gratitude and seduction. 

“As with foes we’ve fought in the past, we have our eternal nemesis Chaos to blame for the corruption of the Equus-Lator. The poison that overtook the Omnivear was a fragment of Chaos; released and floating through the cosmos.”

“Do you know if there are any others?” Ami was the first to speak. 

“It doesn’t appear so. However, there’s no way to know. In my visions, the Chaos fragment was alone,wandering aimlessly, with no sentience. There was only malevolence and survival,” Michiru explained while everyone in the room hung on her words in silence. 

“Being imbued with the power of Chaos would explain how they were able to travel through Space-Time so easily,” Setsuna mused.  
“Will we ever truly have peace?” Usagi sighed. 

“Chaos is an evil entity that will always exist, so long as the Galaxy Cauldron remains,” Setsuna reminded everyone. “The Omnivear also mentioned another Space-Time Guardian in Andromeda. Deceased, now.”

“Meaning their gate is unprotected,” Ami deduced. 

Setsuna nodded. “I will speak with them on the matter. I’d like more information, myself. Another Space-Time Guardian… It is not a possibility I ever considered.”

Haruka could tell Setsuna was frustrated. The Immortal Time Keeper had a difficult time accepting there were still entire realms of information and possibilities out of her grasp. 

“Is it possible to cleanse Andromeda?” Mamoru spoke while resting his hand on Usagi’s shoulder. He stared down at her with a look Haruka knew all too well; the constant concern that one of these times she would give too much of herself in her endless, selfless pursuit of preserving all life in their galaxy. 

“Of course, Mamo-chan!” Usagi piped in with her trademark optimism. 

“We’re talking about purifying an entire galaxy, Usagi-chan.” Luna’s head popped up from her owner’s lap as she spoke. 

Hotaru shook her head. “No, not purifying. Setsuna-mama and I can restore it. Like Pluto. Right?” 

When Hotaru’s dark doe eyes turned up to the mother in question, Haruka caught Setsuna’s chest momentarily swell with pride. Haruka and Michiru shared a knowing glance. It was over as soon as it began. Setsuna immediately returned to her maternal, cautious tone. 

“We can try, Hotaru-chan. We would have to map out Andromeda by manageable sectors and tackle it in pieces.”

“I’ll begin working on the map.” As the logical choice, Ami volunteered without hesitation. 

“Wait.” Rei held her hand up. “You guys are overlooking a very big detail here.”

“What is it, Rei-chan?” Usagi tilted her head and spoke with a mouthful of food. 

“We don’t know how the poison can affect us in its natural state. We’ve only been exposed to it after it mutated with the Equus-Lator. Just being exposed to it could kill someone.”

“I’ll get a sample,” the Keeper of Time volunteered. 

“But—” The princess started to object, but was cowed into silence by Michiru and Haruka’s threatening stares. 

Only Pluto’s fellow Outer Senshi were privy to the burdensome guilt weighing down her shoulders. Usagi didn’t know the Gate Keeper blamed herself for the Dromedon War every day. Usagi didn’t know raising Michiru was a futile exercise in Setsuna allowing herself forgiveness for contributing to their deaths. Haruka wasn’t sure if Setsuna would ever truly forgive herself, but she deserved this chance to make things right. 

“... That’s a great idea?” Usagi squeaked under the couple’s determined glares. 

“Thank you.” Setsuna bowed. 

“How’re you gonna get there?” Minako inquired. 

“Simple. The Dromedons came through the Space-Time gate. I will bring the Omnivear with me and we shall follow the path they took from Andromeda.” 

The Inner Senshi exchanged glances. No one could find an appropriate counter-argument, so Usagi shrugged and conceded. “Okay then, I guess that’s settled?”

Haruka sensed the relief behind Setsuna’s burgundy orbs. Having a mission, linked to restoring her pride from her brief moment of weakness years ago, was exactly what Pluto needed. There was no doubt in Haruka’s mind that Setsuna and Ami would take the appropriate steps to ensure the atmosphere in Andromeda was safe enough for them to occupy. From there, it would take only time to return the neighboring galaxy back to a habitable environment for its sole remaining species. 

“That’s everything on the list,” Hotaru said. 

“Yay! Finally!” Usagi gave an exasperated sigh. She suddenly perked up and leaned towards Haruka. “Hey, Haruka?”

“What?” Haruka was taken aback by Usagi’s sudden bout of timidity. 

“Did you, umm….” Usagi pursed her lips and looked down at her hands. She hesitated. “Did you buy any dessert?”

Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru all laughed. 

Some things would never change. 

“Why don’t you go to the kitchen and find out?” Haruka hinted with a wink. She barely had her sentence out before Usagi rounded up the Inners and dragged Mamoru out of the dining room. The loud chatter tapered off as the crowd went to investigate the dessert situation. 

“I hope Angela made two cakes,” Michiru playfully mused. Her hand reached down and squeezed the inside of Haruka’s thigh. 

Haruka almost jumped out of her skin in response to the unanticipated advance. Just as she turned to banter with Michiru, she felt a lingering presence in the doorway. 

Rei stepped back inside of the dining room. Hands deep in her overalls, with her mysterious gaze settled on the timeless couple, she slowly advanced to the opposite side of the table. 

Not entirely sure what to expect, Haruka stood and mimicked Rei by shoving her hands down her pockets and returning the solemn stare. 

Rei cleared her throat. “I found the ‘gift’ I gave you in the trash.” 

Removing her hand from her pocket, Rei revealed the evil-warding talisman. 

Haruka smirked and took the yakuyoke back. “I didn’t put it there, if that’s what you’re saying.”

“I’m saying you’re very careless for a billionaire CEO.” Rei tucked a new strand of red hair behind her right ear. 

Rei’s deadpan humor made Haruka roll her eyes. The blonde wrapped her arm around Michiru’s waist and looked down at her lover. “I know. I don’t deserve any of you.”

“That’s not true.” Rei’s tone softened. “If that were the case, Michiru would have kicked you to the curb a long time ago.”

“She should’ve, after the things I did,” Haruka murmured. Try as she did, she couldn’t stop feeling guilty over the fight that led her to kidnapping. 

“We all did what we thought was best,” Michiru vaguely answered. Her attention turned from Haruka to Rei. 

“Each of us fulfilled our role.” Rei focused on Michiru, who matched her stare with a frightful one of her own. Haruka wasn’t sure what prompted the silent battle of wills. There was no bad blood between the two of them; in fact, Michiru had spoken rather highly of Sailor Mars during the conversations shared in the warmth of their bed. 

Haruka became uncomfortable watching the awkward staring contest between the two gifted Senshi. Haruka forgot to breathe until Michiru broke off the stare with a sultry, satisfied smirk. 

“So it seems.” Michiru broke the silence with her lilting, harmonious giggle. “Perhaps Venus is not as clueless as she lets on.”

“She is the best matchmaker in the galaxy, after all,” Haruka recalled with a smirk. She bent down and kissed Michiru’s forehead. Everything about her undine goddess: her smile, her skin, her magic, her smell… Haruka could never get enough. 

If there was a debt Uranus could never repay, it was the debt she owed to the Love Goddess for pushing her to dance with Neptune that night. 

“We do owe her an enormous debt, don’t we?” Michiru asked Haruka as if reading her mind. She returned her sights to the Shrine Maiden. “The Skyloft is yours. Do be sure to make good use of it during your stay.”

“What?” Rei blinked while Haruka felt heat crawling up her neck. 

Michiru tilted her head while assessing the flustered Soldier of War. “Would I be amiss in assuming Minako wields her chains in the bedroom as well?”

Rei’s narrow eyes did not react at first. Haruka thought perhaps she didn’t understand the innuendo. After a few seconds passed, Rei’s face turned redder than the skirt of her fuku. 

“I need to use the restroom,” Rei mumbled while rushing out of the room. 

“Michiru…” Haruka couldn’t help but empathize with the insecure Fire Senshi. After all, she had fallen victim to Michiru’s embarrassing innuendos and comments about their sex life more times than she cared to count.

“That answers that.” Michiru shrugged and beset her hungry gaze on Haruka. “I thought it was an innocent enough question.”

“What was?” Minako asked as she walked into the dining room, holding two plates with thick slices of chocolate cake. Her bright eyes darted across the room. “Where’s Rei-chan?”

“Oh, she had to use the facilities,” Michiru crooned in a salacious tone. She relaxed into her chair and began eyeing Mina. 

“You want a piece of cake?” Minako asked, misjudging Michiru’s hungry gaze.

_“That_ was an innocent question,” Haruka pointed out. 

“Oh, I get it!” Mina sat across from Michiru. She grabbed her fork and waved it in the air. “You scared Rei-chan away with some sort of sexy talk, didn’t you?”

“I knew you were more astute than you let on.” Michiru waited for the Inner Senshi to take a bite of cake. “I only asked which of you assumes control in the bedroom.”

“That wasn’t exactly how you worded it…” Haruka scratched the back of her head. 

“Hmm…” Mina pretended to consider Michiru’s words while licking dark chocolate frosting from her fork. “You know Rei-chan would be mad if I told you.”

“Her reaction was answer enough.” 

Haruka felt Michiru’s eyes on her and the ethereal tug of her aura. Those cerulean eyes she fell in love with eons ago studied her with unnerving ardor. “What made you decide to help us in the Silver Millennium?”

“I’m the best matchmaker in the galaxy! Duh!” Venus swallowed another overstuffed mouthful of cake. “I just know when two people are meant for each other. It’s like a sixth sense. It’d be like you explaining your bond with water. It just… is. And I’ve never been wrong.”

Haruka didn’t comment on Venus’ gloating. After all, her relationship with Neptune that surpassed time and distance was testament to the Love Guardian’s abilities. 

“Even about Rei?” Michiru pried in a sweet, non-threatening tone. 

“Especially about Rei.” Minako winked. “Our relationship isn’t, well, like yours. But when we’re together, it’s, ya know… right.” 

Mina sighed. Her eyes adopted a faraway, lusty look, telling Haruka that Rei would be embarrassed just knowing Minako was thinking about sex in front of them. 

“As long as you’re both happy.” Michiru reached for Haruka’s hand, and she gladly took it. “Be sure to make good use of the accommodations… Consider it a gift.”

Haruka kissed the back of Michiru’s hand to keep from having to make eye contact with anyone. She couldn’t begin to imagine the couple doing the sort of things in the Skyloft they had. From the looks of it, Michiru most certainly was imagining, and quite enjoying, the thought. 

“What accommodations?” The puzzled Inner Senshi asked. 

“You’ll see.” Michiru gave her a suggestive smile, but left it at that.

Haruka cleared her throat. “So. What do you want to do with our new house? To, um, replace the Skyloft, I mean.”

Michiru’s sultry gaze stole the air from Haruka’s lungs. Calculating hands squeezed hers with equal parts love and mischief. Beads of sweat formed along Haruka’s brow as Michiru mentally undressed her in front of Minako.

“About that.” Neptune’s princess reached across the table and stole the extra slice of cake. Her skilled tongue cleaned frosting from the prongs at a purposeful, agonizingly slow pace. “I have an idea...”

**♅**

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait until after your parents come to visit?” 

Setsuna stood before the vast expanse of kitchen counter space, debating where to place the homely coffee pot she brought over from her apartment. 

Haruka and Michiru shared a bemused glance. The couple leaned against the island, hand in hand, while watching the immortal Time Guardian perform exceedingly mundane, domestic tasks. It was a jarring juxtaposition that never failed to amuse them. The process of moving all of the apartment’s belongings into their new home had only just begun, and Setsuna was already acting as if she were encroaching upon their privacy. 

“We’ve been apart too long already,” Haruka reasoned. “We have a lot of time to make up for.”

Setsuna reverently shook her head while paying her coffeemaker a suspicious amount of attention. “Time is a persistent, cruel mistress. She will never forfeit that which she has already taken from you.” 

Haruka felt a thoughtful purr resonate through Michiru’s chest. Setsuna’s cryptic comment caught Haruka off-guard. Michiru seemed too pensive to respond, so Haruka stuttered for an appropriate answer. “Yeah, so all the more reason not to whittle any more time away. Stop acting so weird.”

“Weird,” Setsuna repeated. She slightly turned to look at them over her shoulder. A ghost of a smile crossed her burgundy lips. “Am I acting weird?”

Michiru pulled herself away from leaning against the furnishings. With a light trill, she spoke, “what’s on your mind, Setsuna?”

Setsuna regarded them with her patient, level stare. Haruka should have been used to the unnerving way Sailor Pluto carried herself. After all, they had lived together and known each other for years before now. Still, she let the calm way Setsuna navigated through her soul, helping herself to every thought and memory inside of it, make her skin crawl. The Time Keeper had a way of breaching all intimacy barriers without any physical contact. 

Haruka’s eyes followed Setsuna’s left hand as it reached inside of the pocket of her dress slacks. It emerged with a black velvet, drawstring pouch. A thin gold rope was knotted, keeping it closed. Setsuna’s eyes went downcast as she pulled the pouch open and poured its contents into her palm. 

Three matching diamond rings. Symbols of their promise to raise Hotaru. To be a family. Haruka could feel the absent band burning against her finger; where it had remained until the day she died. 

Setsuna kept the rings all this time. 

Haruka was at a loss for words. She stared at the rings resting in Setsuna’s palm, dumbfounded. Of all the belongings from her previous life, how could Haruka have forgotten about the matching rings joining them as an eternal family? 

“Now that we are together again, I thought you may be interested in…”

“Please do the honors,” Michiru tactfully interrupted when Setsuna’s voice wavered. Her hand eloquently pointed toward Setsuna; ring finger elevated above the rest. For lack of a better idea, Haruka mimicked the action with her left hand.

Bangs shielding her eyes, Setsuna slipped one of the rings onto Michiru’s finger. The artist held the sparkling diamond into the light, stealing a moment to appreciate its splendor. Haruka tried giving Setsuna a reassuring smile, but her eyes refused to look up. 

Setsuna’s steady, cold fingers enveloped Haruka’s hand. Being touched by the daughter of Chronos was akin to feeling a whisper brush against her skin in the dead of night. It was intimate, mysterious, and sent a brief chill coursing through her veins. 

Then it was gone, like the flicker of a dream. 

A glistening symbol of dedication, faith, and love shared between the furthest planetary guardians; sworn to raise Hotaru as their own and protect the galaxy despite all odds. 

Haruka watched as Setsuna adorned the final ring. Her dark eyes lifted, shining with relief as all three of them held their matching jewelry in a circle. None of them spoke, but the air of nostalgia and joy that surrounded them spoke volumes. 

“We’ve come full circle,” a fourth voice pierced through the silence. 

They turned to find Hotaru had joined them, observing their bonding moment from a safe distance. After making her presence known, the Guardian of Rebirth welcomed herself into the circle. 

Haruka wrapped an arm around Hotaru’s narrow shoulders. Her serious, dark eyes betrayed a glimmer of hope. 

“You knew we would,” Haruka teased before turning serious. The gales contained within her eyes briefly calmed as they moved from Hotaru, to Setsuna, and finally, to Michiru. “Thanks. Both of you. For not giving up on us.”

Michiru cast Haruka a proud smile before sidling beside Setsuna and leaning her head on the taller woman’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t have made it through if it weren’t for you, Setsuna.”

The rare confession of weakness, coming from Neptune, surprised everyone. 

With all modesty, Setsuna shook her head. “It is what we do for family.”

“Yes.” Hotaru’s pale face lit into a smile. “For family.”

**♅**

Haruka groaned as she dragged her mother’s burdensome suitcases through the main entryway of their new home. Trailing immediately behind her was Joshua, lugging a smaller, yet equally cumbersome, load. She was already annoyed by the swarm of paparazzi who somehow caught whiff of her parents’ trip. Cameras and prying questions met Haruka’s parents before she did, and didn’t hesitate to follow them all the way home. 

Today was the first time Haruka realized how much she had taken the Death Buster’s protections for granted. Funneling money to Kaori to silence a lot of the media was a long-lost perk, and she needed a new plan to get them off her back. 

“Your new home is beautiful!” Haruka’s mother, Kasumi, exclaimed as she waltzed into the foyer. 

Her mother’s happiness chipped away at Haruka’s foul mood. Kasumi, now in her sixties, was as energetic as ever, despite her physical signs of aging. Kasumi’s thinning hair was curled and dyed black to hide the graying. She dressed and held herself as any high society woman, despite her modest upbringing. 

“It is. Though a bit much, don’t you think?” Haruka’s father, Haruto, had not adjusted to their acquired wealth as fluidly. He insisted on wearing generic clothing and had made very few adjustments to his lifestyle outside of keeping Kasumi happy. Haruka had given up buying him things he didn’t ask for years ago. 

“What do you mean?” Haruka deposited the suitcases. 

“It’s just you and this Kaiou girl living here, no?” He craned his neck to study the high ceiling. “Awfully big for two people.”

Haruka swallowed. Now was a good a time as any to break the news about the actual size of her family. 

“Umm… about that…” Haruka scratched the back of her head. 

“Haruka-papa, are you home?” a teenage voice inquired from an adjacent room. 

“Haruka-papa?” Both of her parents repeated in sheer disbelief. 

Hotaru, wearing a black bathing suit top and a dark purple skirt with matching flip flops, walked into the room. She paused in her tracks upon remembering they had guests. The young woman strolled at a leisurely pace, smiling the entire way. 

Following her was Setsuna, wearing a smart burgundy pantsuit. Her face was demure and composed, as usual, but Haruka could have sworn she detected some mirth behind that maddening poker face. 

“And who’s this?” Kasumi found her tongue. 

Haruka continued to nervously laugh as Hotaru and Setsuna approached. Michiru had been nagging her for days to tell her parents about their Senshi family. For whatever reason, Haruka couldn’t bring herself to do it. Every time she spoke to one of them on the phone, she had a hard enough time talking about Michiru, let alone their Outer Scout family. 

“Tomoe Hotaru.” Hotaru bowed. 

“Meiou Setsuna. Pleasure.” Setsuna mimicked Hotaru’s bow before reaching out to shake hands. 

Haruka gulped as her parents took turns shaking Setsuna’s hand. She hoped neither of them would notice the matching rings she and Setsuna were wearing-- that would take some extra explanation she wasn’t eager to tackle. Thankfully, they were both too distracted by Setsuna’s supernatural aura and calculated civility to notice her jewelry.

“Ah, _Okaasan, Otosan…_ Setsuna is Michiru’s legal guardian. She raised her after Michiru’s parents died. I told you about that, right?”

“Yes…” Kasumi arched her greying eyebrows skeptically.

“Is this your daughter?” Haruto bent down to the youngest Senshi’s level. His amber eyes squinted at her, trying to find any physical likeness between Hotaru and Setsuna. 

“Not biologically.” The Time Keeper placed her hand against Hotaru’s back and smiled down at her. “But she is my daughter, all the same.”

“Our daughter,” Haruka corrected, nearly sending her parents into shock. 

“You-you mean we’re grandparents?!” Kasumi clutched her chest while staring at Hotaru. 

Hotaru’s innocent doe eyes fluttered up at her new grandparents, while Setsuna proudly smiled. Haruka could have rolled her eyes at how thickly these two were laying it on, but her guilt at catching her parents unaware with this development smothered her sense of humor. 

“Umm… surprise!” Haruka gently shoved Sailor Saturn toward her grandparents. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, _Obaasan… Ojiisan…_ I hope to grow into an honorable young woman who will make you proud.”

Haruka was getting the impression the smallest Senshi was having too much fun with this facade. Thankfully, her parents were already enraptured by Hotaru’s allure. 

“You will have to tell us all about your new family over dinner!” Kasumi exclaimed while giving the frail teenager a hug. 

“Of course. We’ll have dinner as soon as Michiru—” Haruka stopped short when the internal resonance of her crystal intensified. 

Before hearing the telltale clicking of Michiru’s heels, Haruka sensed her presence. “Never mind, she’s home already.”

Michiru, with Turner on her heels, entered through the same doorway as Haruka and her parents. She removed her aviator sunglasses and fixed them with the proper, professional smile she reserved for formal introductions. 

“Welcome home!” Haruka and their daughter chimed together. 

“Thank you,” Michiru replied, though Haruka’s adoptive parents had already stolen her attention. 

The Tenohs smiled broadly at the only long-term partner their daughter ever had. They had no true concept, of course, when it came to Uranus and Neptune’s boundless love. But they were overjoyed and relieved to know their gender nonconforming celebrity child was in a committed relationship with a graceful, eloquent young woman. 

At least, that’s what Haruka assumed as she watched them embrace Michiru together. Caught unaware by the overly familiar gesture, Michiru stiffened before returning the embrace. Haruka sensed Michiru’s hesitation. After all, this was the first lifetime she couldn’t impress Haruka’s parents with her wealth or status. 

If Haruka didn’t know any better, she would have thought Michiru was actually nervous. 

“We’re so happy to meet the woman who stole our little Ha-Chan’s heart!”

_“Okaasan,”_ Haruka grumbled. 

“You’re embarrassing her,” Haruto pretended to chastise his wife before turning and winking at Michiru. “And it’s only the beginning.”

“I can’t wait,” Michiru crooned. Haruka rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she could handle two entire weeks of her mother showing Michiru embarrassing childhood pictures and telling equally awkward stories. 

Haruka linked arms with her lover. Michiru’s signature energy flooded through her, making her forget how annoyed she was. “Anyway! I was just telling my parents we would begin dinner as soon as you arrived. So let’s go eat.”

“Yeah, I’m hungry,” Hotaru agreed. She took Setsuna’s hand, leading her into the formal dining room without waiting for their guests. 

“That girl a bottomless pit like you were?” Haruka’s father asked with a raspy chuckle. 

“Were? Haruka’s still a bottomless pit.” Michiru’s cordial voice hid the lascivious undertone of her words. 

Knowing Michiru wasn’t referencing food made Haruka stuffer. “Ah, um, yeah. She’s a big eater.”

“What are we having for dinner?” Kasumi asked as they entered the spacious dining area. 

“Oh, I thought you might like some traditional Japanese.” Haruka pretended not to notice as her parents gawked at the furnishings. The table and chairs, a matching dining set made of dark cherrywood with golden trim, and crystal eatery, were worth more money than she cared to admit. 

Knowing her father’s discomfort with luxuriousness, she had the housemaids and other staff take the time off. Except for Angela and the security, the house was quiet. 

Their meal began with Hotaru weaving fabricated childhood tales. She was a better actress than Haruka would have guessed. Haruka felt bad lying to her parents about most of this, but what could she do? The masks that haunted her until recently were inescapable. Until such a time when Crystal Tokyo could be fully realized, their identities must remain hidden. 

Haruka could only hope that, if she were faced with telling her parents the truth, they would respond better than she had with Michiru. 

As if sensing Haruka was blaming herself for how things transpired yet again, Michiru squeezed her hand beneath the table. Haruka returned to the conversation in time for miso soup and Setsuna’s line of questioning. 

“I’ve been with Michiru since she was born.” The Space-Time Guardian picked up a traditional wooden spoon. “We came to America shortly after her parents died.”

“You said you work for NASA?” Haruto inquired. 

“That’s right.” Setsuna nodded. “I am an astrophysicist.”

“How fascinating!” Kasumi slapped her husband’s arm. “An astrophysicist! Go on, dear, ask her!”

“No, no,” Haruto declined, seeming embarrassed about something. 

“I don’t mind,” Setsuna reassured him. 

Haruka couldn’t help but wonder what had her father so flustered. She imagined being in Setsuna and Michiru’s combined presence was rather intimidating. Even at their friendliest, engaging in casual conversation with the two of them could be daunting. Especially Setsuna. 

“I’m sure you’ve gotten this question a lot since it was on the news. But… Well, does NASA have any information on those four streaks of light seen flying over the Pacific Ocean a few weeks ago?”

The four Sailor Senshi all froze. Haruka’s father had never taken an interest in unexplained phenomena; in fact, he barely watched the news. Between this and the frustrating paparazzi, Julian was going to have his work cut out for him. 

“Ah, about that. Well, we’ve begun researching what those may have been, but have reached no conclusive decision as of this moment.” Setsuna’s off-the-cuff explanation was believable enough, but Haruka’s father was preparing to ask another question. 

“I was wondering if you would tell us more about Haruka’s life,” Michiru prompted before anyone else could speak. “Haruka tells me stories, but… I would rather hear it from the horse’s mouth, as the expression goes?”

As she expected, Haruka’s mother jumped on the chance to tell their story. “Our Haruka is a special girl, as I’m sure you’ve learned. We love her with everything we have.”

“I can see that,” Michiru agreed. “Haruka is very lucky to have you.”

“I knew from a young age I could not have children,” Kasumi began. “Dear Haruto married me, knowing this. After we were married for a few years and decided we wanted children, well… It took years to save enough money to adopt.” 

Haruto nodded while eating his sashimi. “We had a modest living. I was a fisherman. Kasumi assisted me in the market. It was many years before we could afford to adopt. Then move to Tokyo, where Haruka attended school.”

Hearing her parents’ account of their lives before she was born humbled Haruka. She knew her mother was infertile and they spent years saving for adoption. Knowing what she knew now; that their lives and journey were part of the universe’s greater plan to raise Uranus’ Guardian and unite her with Neptune, she couldn’t help but be respectful and grateful. They may never know, past their satisfaction as parents, the ultimate reasoning behind their journey. 

But the timeless Sailor Senshi would never forget. 

“We lived in Tokyo for many years as well,” Setsuna added to the conversation. 

“That’s right! Haruka attended one of Michiru’s concerts. Oh, how she insisted on going,” Kasumi pondered. “She begged and begged. Made us buy her a new suit, if I recall.”

_“Okaasan,”_ Haruka groaned yet again while hiding her face.

Haruka felt Michiru’s comforting hand on her back. More than her comfort, she felt her amusement. 

“We all couldn’t afford tickets. So we paid for Haruka to attend. And the new suit, of course.” 

“Ah,” Michiru trilled. “Then I am extremely apologetic for not performing that evening.”

There was no trace of shame or sadness on Michiru’s face. Only determination, and a hope to spend the rest of her life making up for the slight. 

“Given what happened that day, there is no need to apologize!” Kasumi insisted. “Losing one’s family is a devastating experience! No one would have expected you to perform that evening!”

Except Michiru didn’t play again. Not until reawakening as Neptune and regaining her true self.

Varius was a figment of her distant past. A symbol of her childhood and ignorance. Michiru did not play again until Marine Cathedral was returned to her. As Neptune; the princess who learned to play the instrument as a thankful gesture to Uranus.

Haruka remembered everything: the masquerade ball, the day she gave Neptune the violin, awakening as Uranus to help Neptune find the talismans in an attempt to stop The Silence, and everything in between…

And now.

The new life they all deserved. 

Michiru squeezed her hand, bewitching her with the timeless adoration and affection Haruka would seek out every day of every life she was ever granted. 

“Yes. But I have another family, now.” Michiru smiled at Setsuna and Hotaru. “I’ve waited my entire life for this.”

While Kasumi and Haruto exchanged glances, Haruka pitched in. 

“I know it’s a strange thing to say...” Haruka’s chest swelled and her crystal resonated as she looked at her Outer Senshi family. Combining them with her parents, she could not be more overwhelmed with love. “But all of us being together, like this…”

“It feels like destiny,” Michiru finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only have one chapter planned after this, the epilogue, and that will be the end of the main story. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck around for 39 chapters of mixed 50 Shades of Grey references, HaruMichi smut, and Sailor Moon battles!


	40. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru invites Haruka to their new playroom... [Final Chapter!]

**♅**

Haruka walked into the bedroom she shared with Michiru. A carefree, weightless air carried her after a typical day at the office. Eager to slip out of her expensive Armani suit in favor of shorts and a t-shirt, she began removing her gold cufflinks, engraved with the symbol of her birthright. 

While undressing, she reflected on the recent events of the summer. Setsuna and Hotaru were touring Andromeda with the Omnivear and Sailor Mercury. This was their third trip into the neighboring galaxy. Their plan to gradually restore the atmosphere was a work in progress. Haruka and Michiru agreed to stay behind this time. After all, Haruka had appearances to keep, and disappearing for weeks at a time was not something she could get away with very often. 

Staying here and continuing this normal, mortal facade was difficult. Uranus craved deep space. She craved battle. She couldn’t help but worry about the others, though the risks were minimal. Andromeda was a dead galaxy and the poison spread by Chaos’ remnant was neutralized thanks to Setsuna and Ami’s hard work over the last few weeks. There was nothing in Andromeda that could harm them. 

Haruka dropped the pair of gold cufflinks on her dresser. As she reached her hands up to begin removing her solid grey tie, a sudden vibration in her pocket startled her. 

She pulled her phone out and checked the monitor. There was a text from Michiru. She was most likely leaving the exhibit for the day and asking Haruka about their evening plans. 

Haruka grinned as she thought about her younger partner acting as the Tenoh Gallery’s director for the summer. Michiru had been hesitant at first, stating it would be an unnecessary distraction from their Senshi duties. Yet as the weeks passed, she had not only grown into her new role, but Haruka suspected she rather enjoyed it. 

Haruka unlocked her phone and read the entire text message. Her throat tightened with nervous anticipation. 

_Come to my Underwater Cavern._

Haruka looked away as she considered her reply. Apparently Michiru had left work early today to put the finishing touches on her secret project. The basement had been locked and off-limits to everyone since the construction crew began working down there the day after their first Senshi meeting. No matter how much Haruka pried, Michiru was tight-lipped about what was being built in their basement. 

If Haruka was having any doubts, the clothing laid out on the bed would have stomped them out. 

“Oh Michiru…” 

Haruka walked beside the bed, staring down at the sports bra and crisply folded jeans waiting for her. 

This was the outfit she wore their first time in The Skyloft. The evening Michiru learned she was a woman masquerading as a man. Haruka’s fear and guilt and longing from that night were a distant memory; a vague recollection from a dream. The connection between them, that neither of them fully understood at the time, was immense and irresistible. Haruka expected Michiru to walk out once she knew she had been lied to. 

How naive. To think Neptune would ever leave her side. Once reunited, the couple was always inseparable.

Fingertips stroked the worn denim, tugging at the frayed seams. It was still difficult to fathom how far they had come since those days of confusion and darkness. 

Haruka’s thumbs hovered over her cell as she contemplated an appropriate response to Michiru’s suggestive invitation. 

_I think I’ll be a bit overdressed for water play._

Haruka stripped her shirt. The silk fabric had not yet settled in the hamper when Haruka received a reply. 

_I’ll take care of that._

Haruka smirked. Deciding against responding, she held up the worn denim pants for inspection. This particular article of clothing harbored so many memories. Memories of encounters and nights in the Skyloft she would rather forget ever happened before Michiru returned to her. 

It was time to continue their eternal ballad with new memories and a stronger melody. 

**♆**

The various currents of the waterfalls around her gushed into their respective pools. A recording of The Perfect Storm, set at a low, ambient volume, played through the speakers inconspicuously built into the foundation. There was only one sound in the universe more comforting to her, and she planned to hear it many times before the evening was over. 

Her eyes were closed, inviting the peace of meditative yoga as she waited for her partner to arrive. She was resting in child’s pose, with her arms stretched and forehead pressed against the floor. Her mortal form was naked and weightless. The only item tethering her roaming spirit to her body was the Pisces constellation necklace dangling from her neck. Its weight grounded her; reminding her of everything she had suffered in this lifetime to be where she was now. 

The lock turning in the door returned Michiru to reality. Anticipation and excitement, much like the first time she was waiting for Haruka in this position, stirred in her chest. Michiru’s eyes remained closed, but for every sound she heard, she envisioned Haruka’s corresponding movement. Haruka was entering the new playroom, pausing halfway through the door. Her teal eyes were darting about the aquatic splendors around her, studying the aquarium beneath the glass floor and above the glass ceiling. The gushing waterfalls and pools built into the walls and floor most likely caught her attention as well. 

After the door clicked in place behind Haruka, Michiru felt her approach. Footsteps stopped just short of her extended fingertips. 

“You’ve outdone yourself,” Haruka’s husky voice was an impressed tease. 

Michiru cast a sly grin to the floor. 

“Michiru... Look at me.”

A pair of aquamarine eyes languidly absorbed every feature of her lover’s body. From the muscular curves of her thighs to the swell of her breasts to the nervous grin on her face; Michiru hungered for every inch of her. 

Haruka knelt down before the prostrated sea queen. Their eyes met for a brief moment of mutual adoration before she looked down to Michiru’s nearly-nude chest. “You wore it.”

“I’ve no intention of ever taking it off.” 

Michiru’s statement earned her a deep, urgent kiss. Haruka’s firm lips massaged hers with a pleasantly surprising force. While they kissed, Haruka’s fingertips tickled the back of her neck, sending shivers down her back. 

Without separating their mouths and bodies, Haruka guided Michiru to her feet. Michiru leaned into Haruka’s warmth. The shared energy born from their lust sizzled. Ocean mist caressed her naked body. Michiru could taste it on her lover’s lips. She was already enraptured by the Wind Scion’s strong desire, and Haruka’s hands had yet to travel south of her shoulders. 

Michiru was breathless by the time Haruka freed her lips. 

“So.” Sailor Uranus took a deep breath. “What did you have in mind?” 

Michiru’s fingers trailed down the strap of Haruka’s bra. She listened to their song playing in the background. The current verse, an adagio tempo written to describe the first time they made love beneath a waterfall in Trident Castle, gave her an idea. 

Curious to see if Harukas’s mind was wandering the same path, Michiru acted coy. “Oh, I don’t know… What were you thinking?” 

Now standing within the Underground Cavern, Haruka’s eyes absorbed its splendor once more. She watched the tropical fish swimming along the wall to their left. Her eyes followed a bright blue cichlid until it disappeared behind a waterfall. 

The large indoor waterfall cascaded against a man made wall of sparkling aquamarines and granite. Though it was an imitation designed from her memory, it could have been carved from the very foundation of Trident Castle. The rock formation continued into the floor, where it formed a shallow, bubbling pool. 

“This is…” Words failed Haruka as she stared at a scene from their distant past. 

Michiru didn’t need words. Memories unfurled in Haruka’s eyes. A desert princess, led by the hand, to Neptune’s favorite waterfall. Gushing droplets reflecting the rainbow scales of her dress and clinging to the thin layers of Uranus’ dress danced in her eyes. 

“Yes.” Michiru’s desire betrayed her. The heat of anticipation warmed her naked body. She knew every delicious flashback playing in Haruka’s mind and it drove her mad with lust. 

Not waiting for Michiru to lead the way, as she had all those years ago when Uranus invited herself to Trident Castle to ask about the pendant, Haruka took control. Michiru gasped when she found herself lifted from the floor. Her legs instinctively wrapped around Haruka’s waist. 

“Ruka?” Michiru tried to hide her surprise at her normally bashful lover’s aggression. 

Haruka’s strong arms supported her lithe form. She marched them toward the waterfall. Her stormy, penetrating gaze refused to relent. Michiru, the one who normally filled herself with smug satisfaction when her seductive gaze forced Haruka to blush and turn away, would not admit defeat. 

Haruka’s husky chuckle was drowned out by the splashing of her feet in the pool as she walked through the shallow end. Michiru met her laughter with a harmonic giggle of her own, which ended with a high note when Haruka carried her through the waterfall. 

Frigid water poured over the laughing lovers. Sandy bangs clung to Haruka’s forehead. Through the sheet of water, Michiru could see her pert nipples straining against their constraints. Haruka didn’t seem to notice or care that her clothing was getting drenched. 

Michiru’s back was pressed against the stone facade. The sanded and polished gems were slick against her skin. Haruka’s body pressed into hers, keeping her upright and precariously positioned in the stream. She became acutely aware of the ten fingers gripping her thighs and buttocks. 

Once their laughter died down, Haruka leaned her head down to Michiru’s level. “I love you.”

Michiru combed her fingers through the wet tendrils of Haruka’s hair. Her eyes narrowed. “I love you, my Wind Scion.”

Teeth were in the crook of her neck. Michiru purred with satisfaction. Being pinned between Haruka’s wet body and the rock wall, feeling Haruka’s mouth ravaging her while being doused with the revitalizing energy of her element… She was almost in heaven. 

As Haruka spent long, agonizing minutes tasting every inch of skin around Michiru’s neck and collarbone, she managed to keep Michiru from slipping. Her legs were locked around Haruka’s waist, and she had no fear of falling. 

Haruka was strong, and more importantly, she knew what she was doing. Even when Haruka’s hands abandoned her hips, Michiru still did not fear slipping down the wet rocks. Haruka had her pinned, and the heat managing to radiate from her body while having a cold shower aroused her limitless desire. 

“Hmm… What’s this?” Haruka jingled something above Michiru’s head. “I don’t remember these in Trident Castle.”

“I took a few liberties with the design,” Michiru crooned. 

With a sly grin, Haruka grabbed one of Michiru’s wrists and bound it in a slick leather cuff. Then the other. As Haruka deftly adjusted the length of the chains to suit her purpose, Michiru couldn’t help the ironic chuckle escaping her throat. This was quite the role reversal from what she envisioned as their first time using these restraints. 

But she certainly was not complaining.

“Liberties, huh?” Haruka observed Michiru’s extended arms, following her tense muscles south. Michiru’s breasts were in her hands; caressed and kneaded with careful consideration. The ministrations were gentle at first, but as Michiru’s moans deepened so did Haruka’s fingers. 

“Ah!” Michiru writhed when Haruka pinched her nipples. It was hard and sudden, followed by another languid massaging session. “Ruka…”

Haruka’s mouth replaced the hand on her left breast. The hot tongue swirling around her icy areola made her back arch. Michiru was strategically distracted by the sensations spiraling from her breasts, causing her to lose sight of what Haruka’s hands were up to. 

Two fingers explored the outside of her entrance, smearing the juices that had already escaped. The intimate touch made Michiru lash out against her restraints. A groan of frustration echoed through the cavern, building into a crescendo as Haruka’s thumb circled her clit. 

“Oh!” Michiru exclaimed when an unexpected, yet pleasurable, sensation filled her. She looked down, but seeing what was happening through the curtain of water and wet hair was difficult. 

“I thought you’d want me to wear this.” Haruka whispered with a smile indicating she was rather proud of herself.

“Mmm…” Michiru’s cuffs dug into her wrists as she tried fitting herself around Haruka’s cock. Strong hands on her hips helped her become situated. Tremors shook her core, sending ripples of satisfaction through her. “This is… different.”

Unlike the strap Haruka had habitually worn for weeks, this one vibrated. The pulses against her clit and inside of her were almost too much to bear. 

Michiru’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and Haruka hadn’t even begun thrusting yet. 

“Uh, Michiru?” 

She forced her eyes open. Haruka’s face was in hers, wearing a bemused expression. The blonde gestured upward, toward the stream of water pouring down over them. 

It wasn’t pouring, exactly. Not anymore. Her element rippled and pulsated, mimicking the pattern inside her. 

Michiru tried to laugh, but a deep groan took its place. 

“That never gets old,” Haruka referenced the water reflecting Michiru’s current mood. 

Another time, another place, Uranus had made a similar comment as they made love in the water. Haruka grinned as a flash of remembrance crossed the water goddess’ features. 

Michiru was unable to dwell on the inside joke for long. There was a very distracting vibrator inside of her, and an even more distracting soldier surrounding her. 

“Ruka, please.” Michiru shoved herself against Haruka’s waist. The chains suspending her arms clanked as their prisoner struggled against them. 

To Michiru’s relief, Haruka caved to her desires. Teeth sank into her neck. Haruka’s body was pressed hard against hers, slick and persistent as she began thrusting. Hands rocked Michiru’s hips, as fast and solid as the vibrating shaft moving inside of her. The pulsating sensations sliding against her G-spot drove Michiru over the brink. Her cries matched the pitch of the violin crooning in the background. 

“Haruka!” Michiru’s essence poured over them. Hot juices mixed with the frigid waterfall, coating Haruka’s cock and thighs. Her wrists felt raw, but the sharp notes of pain mingling with the waves of ecstasy were enticing and blissful. 

Even more pleasurable were Haruka’s deep grunts as she leaned into her. Haruka’s forearms framed Michiru’s head. Wet bangs dangled in her eyes. The heat of Uranus’ emblem emblazoned in Haruka’s forehead radiated. Her lover’s unique aura filled her, further heightening her series of orgasms. 

“God, Michiru!” Gold and white light drowned out Michiru’s senses. Haruka relentlessly pounded the cock inside of her, making love to her with the fury of a thousand lost years. 

Michiru forgot the pain in her wrists and the discomfort of the rocks against her back. She forgot they were on Earth and not Neptune. She forgot the years they were separated; the pain and anguish they suffered, to arrive at this very moment. 

A final moan releasing Haruka’s spirit into her mouth, and Haruka was spent. Her entire body shuddered and twitched. Their soaked flesh melded together in their post-coitus haze. The athletic blonde, who could run for miles without tiring, was gasping for breath. Rouge blossomed across Haruka’s upper chest, despite how cold her body felt. 

“That was…” Michiru sighed. She momentarily forgot how to speak. The constant vibrations inside of her sensitive canal sent twinges up her spine. “I…”

“I love you,” Haruka whispered. The dedication in her words and stormy eyes made Michiru’s chest swell. 

“You said that already,” Michiru teased.

“It bears repeating.” Haruka took the bait, repeating a line from one of their latest inside jokes. 

The pair smiled at each other, both reflecting on their salacious lovemaking in Haruka’s office and the banter that followed. While the sex had always been satisfying, Michiru’s oblivious self never could have anticipated how much deeper their bond could be; how intimate their lovemaking would become. 

“Does it?” Michiru relaxed her head against Haruka’s. Their bodies were pressed together hard enough for Michiru to feel Haruka’s frantic heartbeat gradually returning to normal. 

“Always.” Haruka held Michiru’s face in her hands.

The hands Michiru needed. Soft or calloused. Innocent or bloody. 

“I love you.” Michiru squirmed as Haruka moved against her, reminding her of the scintillating toy inside of her. “Haruka…”

“But I like seeing you like this,” she countered playfully. Michiru arched an eyebrow, sending Haruka into action. 

“Ah,” Michiru sighed with relief when her handcuffs were released. She stood naked in the streaming water, rubbing her sore wrists. Her legs were weak from exertion, and her head heavy with satisfaction. She relaxed into Haruka’s body. 

The couple embraced under the water, now flowing normally, for long minutes. Michiru felt every rhythm and flow of Haruka’s body; the rise and fall of her chest, her steady heartbeat, her lifeblood coursing through her veins, her starseed resonating Uranus’ power through her. 

Neptune’s princess would have been perfectly content remaining in this position for the rest of the night, if there wasn’t an entire Underground Cavern to explore. 

“I should take care of your clothes, as promised,” Michiru said. 

Haruka made no gesture to move. Michiru’s fingers crept up the length of her spine until they found the clasp to her bra. She unfastened and slid the fabric down the length of Haruka’s arms, after she reluctantly released her hold from Michiru’s waist. 

The sight of her lover’s soaked, aroused breasts awakened the current inside of her. Her suggestive eyes roamed the pale skin of Haruka’s chest before traveling south, across the ripples of Haruka’s abs, down to the harness and unfastened jeans. Michiru groaned while staring at the black cock. The vibrations were turned off for now, but she could still feel it pulsating inside of her. 

Lowering to her knees, she gripped the long shaft in both of her hands. She stroked its length, reimagining every inch as it pleasured her. It was slick with proof of the ecstasy it provided. 

Michiru filled her mouth with as much of the black strap as she could handle. Salt and ocean, Neptune’s very essence, tingled her taste buds. While her tongue was busy cleaning the cock, her hands began rolling down Haruka’s jeans. The soaked denim was around her waist, lowered enough to release the strap-on in the heat of passion. 

Fingers crept through the wet strands of Michiru’s hair. Haruka’s firm grip on the back of her head encouraged her, but the throaty groans that followed sent Michiru over the edge. Michiru’s lips never left the cock as her hands wandered. She had to have Haruka all to herself, naked and calling out her name, and Michiru was in too much of a hurry to care about the scratches her nails were leaving on Haruka’s thighs. 

Haruka pulled Michiru’s face towards her. Michiru almost gagged when she could feel it slipping dangerously far into her throat. Her eyes watered. Haruka’s heady scent aroused her, but it was her own juices filling her mouth. 

“Ah… Michiru…” 

Haruka’s hungry moans made the water goddess impatient. Making sure the jeans were around Haruka’s ankles, she lifted her hands to massage her inner thighs. Allowing herself to catch her breath, Michiru released the cock from her mouth. As much fun as the toy had been, it was time to move on. Michiru unbuckled the harness and let it slide down Haruka’s legs. 

Michiru sensed Haruka’s desire. She could feel it in the way her fingers tensed against her scalp. She could smell it in the air between them. She was drawn to it; satisfying Haruka’s carnal urges gave her life meaning. Michiru’s mouth gravitated toward the dark blonde mound and what lay hidden within. Her lips parted to begin their feast. 

Instead, she pulled away with a devilish smile. 

Michiru returned to her full height and gazed up at her lover, who was wearing a dazed, bewildered expression. Without speaking, Michiru grabbed her hand and led her to another feature of the watery cavern. 

They walked across the fish obliviously swimming below them, until coming upon a below-ground hot tub. Like the waterfall, this body of water was surrounded by polished gems imitating those on the Neptune from the Silver Millennium. Water bubbled and frothed from the jet streams, creating a welcoming scene.

Hand in hand, they stepped into the warm water. The temperature was a stark difference from the frigid waterfall. They made themselves comfortable inside the tub, sitting on the interior ledge. Being the taller of the two, Haruka was able to lean back and comfortably stretch her arms across the outer lip. Michiru leaned her head against Haruka’s chest, enjoying the feeling of her sturdy body and the bubbles bursting against her cheek. 

“This is… nice,” Haruka sighed. Michiru felt her body relaxing. 

“Mmm… Yes it is,” Michiru crooned in agreement. 

After silently enjoying the hot water and each other’s company for an undetermined amount of time, Haruka was the first to speak. “I’m trying to be better, you know.”

Michiru blinked. “Ara? Better at what?”

“Just better. With you. Uranus said to appreciate you… And it took me a while to figure out what she meant. I mean, I thought it was silly at first. Even oblivious me worshipped the ground you walk on. But I’ve never been good at giving you what you deserve. Like… You know…”

Michiru arched an eyebrow. She had a sense of what Haruka was trying to say, but she had to hear the words from Haruka’s lips. “Like what, Haruka? What do I deserve?”

Haruka’s cheeks were pink, and Michiru suspected it was not from the water’s temperature. 

“You know… Being more… forward. Doing these things that you like without you having to instigate.” 

Michiru giggled. “Oh, Ruka.” 

She sat upright to give herself a clear view of Haruka’s face. “But making you flustered like this gives me all the pleasure in the world.”

Drawing attention to Haruka’s embarrassment made it worse. Haruka grumbled and cast a miserable glance to the water. “I’m trying to be serious.”

“I am being serious,” Michiru gently persisted. “Your sweet innocence, no matter how many times we’ve been together like this, is one of my favorite qualities of yours. Besides. What makes you think I’m deserving of anything?”

Haruka’s head snapped up with surprise. “What do you mean?”

“After awakening, you questioned what drives my eternal devotion to you. I think it is only fair that I ask the same of you.”

Haruka scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” 

“Well, yeah. Because you’re, well…”

Michiru was self-aware. More than most people, she liked to believe. She was well aware of her prodigiousness in anything she set her mind to. She was a savant. In previous lives, she was rich and famous and could sell out stadiums with her magnificent violin skills. She could swim for miles without tiring. She had the poise and mannerisms of a princess, despite not having a castle or a kingdom on Earth. 

None of these things were of interest to Haruka. Even the things she had lost from one lifetime to the next, they never impressed Haruka in the first place. 

Michiru had charisma and charm. She could seduce anyone she wanted. 

But Haruka. Haruka was the only person, ever, to have the power to turn her away. 

Haruka was the only person whose affections Michiru ever had to earn.

This time around, Haruka had all of the advantages. Yet she was the one to pursue Michiru. 

“Don’t tell me you’re feeling insecure?” Haruka chuckled. 

“Never.” Michiru turned and straddled herself over Haruka’s thighs. “Only curious.”

“Well, umm…” The shy demeanor Michiru referenced came to head once more. Haruka’s hands absently wandered Michiru’s curves while considering her answer. “I admire a lot of, uh, things, about you.”

“Is that so?” Michiru noticed Haruka’s eyes were everywhere but her face. While she usually found fulfillment in her partner being enraptured by her body, she wanted Haruka’s eyes on hers. She lifted Haruka’s chin. “Is this the part when I make a joke about you staring at my chest?”

Haruka coughed and shook her head. “You’re confident in your beauty. You’re confident in everything you do, really. It’s… sexy.”

“I’m not confident in _everything,”_ Michiru stressed. Her stomach twisted into knots while recalling how difficult life had been since she awakened as Neptune. Every day was an uncertain struggle. 

“Most things, then.” Haruka tightly gripped Michiru’s hips beneath the water. “As a soldier, most importantly. You’re the one who taught me how to be a warrior. I knew how to wield my talisman and use Uranus’ powers before we met. But having all that power means nothing without having a purpose. And you gave that to me. Back in the Silver Millennium, I had long lost sight of the distant Moon Kingdom we were supposedly protecting. Your love washed away all my doubts, and gave me a new purpose. I know we promised not to let our love interfere with our sworn duties… But I’d be lying if I said you weren’t my purpose.”

Michiru tilted her head with a subtle smile. Haruka wasn’t a big talker when it came to her feelings, so sat back and refrained from interrupting. 

“And, well, I feel like you’re always taking care of me and cleaning up my messes. Maybe that’s what Uranus meant. I never fully appreciated how much you took care of me because I was kinda oblivious to it.”

“But you’re cute when you’re oblivious,” Michiru playfully deflected Haruka’s statement. She didn’t disagree with Haruka’s words; the Deep Sea Senshi had developed a habit of behaving as Haruka was describing. She just felt no need to draw attention to it, or to act as if she deserved credit for taking care of Haruka. Uranus was her soulmate; Michiru lived and died for her. 

“If you say so,” Haruka grumbled. “But I don’t plan on making trouble for you again anytime soon.”

Michiru shrugged. Every day she spent in silent agony over her conflicting feelings about Uranus’ return were worth every second they shared together now. 

Growing tired of this serious conversation when they could be making more constructive use of their idle time, Michiru leaned forward and kissed Haruka’s lips. “Speaking of confidence…”

Haruka writhed as Michiru’s hands wandered beneath the bubbling surface. Her hands split Haruka’s thighs apart. “Let’s not forget something I’m _very_ confident in.”

“Yeah?” Haruka’s breath hitched when Michiru’s palm pressed against her sex. “What’s that?”

The expert swimmer lowered her head beneath the water. Her cerulean eyes darted about the water, watching the water shoot from the jets stationed around the tub. The water was clean and clear, providing a perfect view of her favorite masterpiece. 

Haruka’s rear was perched on an underwater ledge. Two muscular thighs spread before her, giving Michiru easy access to the prize hiding between them. She dove towards Haruka’s center, feeling her heart quicken as Haruka reflexively bucked her hips. 

Michiru filled her mouth. The water surrounding them could not wash away the taste of Haruka’s arousal. Sliding her tongue between Haruka’s lips brought forth a wave of tense pressure and delicious juices. 

Michiru closed her eyes. She knew Haruka’s most intimate parts. Her lips and tongue easily revealed Haruka’s eager clit. 

Through the roiling water, Michiru could still hear Haruka’s heady moans. Haruka’s deep voice in the throes of ecstasy was the precise sound she lived for. Not the crashing of waves, not the silvery notes of Marine Cathedral, but Haruka, begging for the release only Michiru could provide. Neither the water nor Haruka’s rocking hips smothering her deterred Michiru from her goal. Her mouth sucked, harder and harder as Haruka’s hands found the back of her head and urgently pressed Michiru’s face into her once again. 

Minutes passed as Michiru performed cunnilingus below the water’s surface. Any normal mortal would have drowned by now. But not Michiru: bearer of Neptune’s starseed and personification of the ocean depths. The water rejuvenated her, allowing her to drink from her lover’s fountain as long as she desired. 

Haruka’s cries rang out as her thighs clamped around Michiru’s head. Uranus’ essence mingled with the bubbling water. Michiru tasted it in her mouth and felt it caressing her body. The aquamarine mermaid was content staying beneath the water, languidly licking Haruka’s slick labia and sucking her engorged clitoris. She would have swam beneath her lover’s thighs all night, if said lover hadn’t beckoned her to resurface. 

With Haruka’s hands cupping her shoulders, Michiru resurfaced. Haruka was gasping for air, smiling with heavy eyelids. The hands Michiru knew better than her own beckoned her close, drawing her into the protective embrace of Uranus’ aura. 

The water stilled around their resting embrace. Michiru buried her face in the crook of Haruka’s neck, content listening to her active heartbeat. She sought out one of Haruka’s hands with her own and laced their fingers together. The soft skin betrayed the battle-hardened experience beneath the surface. 

“It was your hands,” Michiru began with a gentle squeeze. The familiar gesture sent shockwaves through her body. 

“It was this feeling,” Haruka finished. This magic between them. This erotic energy they shared since the day they met. It united the destined lovers in ways they never could have guessed the day Michiru found herself wandering inside the CEO’s headquarters, interviewing for an internship. 

“I will say, it was a nice change of pace. You pursuing me,” Michiru half-joked. 

Haruka’s chest thrummed with laughter. “Guess I can finally recognize a good thing when I see it.”

“It’s not that. You didn’t run away this time.”

“I guess you’re right.” Haruka shrugged. “Still feels like I wasted a lot of our time.”

“Everything happened the way it did for a reason,” Michiru consoled. “We played our parts, as Rei would say. And love triumphed, as Minako and our princess would say.”

Haruka grunted, showing hesitance in agreeing with their Inner Senshi comrades. Her stubbornness, another trait Michiru never grew weary of, made her giggle. 

The newest verse added to The Perfect Storm began to play. Michiru listened to the melody, letting it rekindle the angst and confusion she felt hours after her awakening. It reflected her solemn misery; her dedication and desires. She used Marine Cathedral to reach for her comrades, their princess, and her slumbering partner. 

Those sensations were worlds away, now. 

It was time for the eternally bonded crystals to resume their ballad. 

“We should write the next verse,” Haruka spoke as if reading her mind. 

“Yes. Tomorrow.” Michiru glanced up at Haruka with a suggestive gleam in her eyes. “I’ve other things on my mind at the moment.”

“Like what we’re going to do next time we’re here?” Haruka asked. 

Michiru looked about the private underground playroom she designed for them. It was an erotic trip down memory lane, highlighting all the places in Trident Castle they made love. The places they visited and private deeds they performed hundreds of years ago, revisited with more experience and deeper ties. 

“There will always be a next time…” Michiru echoed Setsuna’s last words before they died in each other’s arms. “But that shouldn’t stop us from making the most out of this time. Don’t you agree, Mr. Tenoh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIN!
> 
> I've been a Sailor Moon fan for about twenty years... Never in my life would I have thought I'd write such a long, complicated, smutty HaruMichi fic, let alone a 50 Shades of Grey AU! I was apprehensive even sharing this online, given the controversial source of inspiration I drew for this particular story. And, well, it's been a wild ride. I'm grateful for every bit of feedback I received and the friends I've made along the way. So if you're reading this, thank you!


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